The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. It is evident that severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiology of COVID-19, certain questions arise whether exposure to seasonal common cold coronaviruses (CCCs) could offer concrete protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection or disease. The authors of the present study evaluated SARS-CoV-2 infections and outcomes of patients who had previously tested positive or negative for CCC infection (CCC+ or CCC-) with the help of a comprehensive respiratory panel using PCR.

The outcome of the study showed that no difference was seen between groups in regard to susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nevertheless, hospitalized patients with a previous history of CCC infection had lower rates of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and higher rates of survival in contrast to hospitalized CCC- patients.

Thus, it can be concluded that despite of the fact that evidence of this study are associative and not causative, it suggests that previous CCC infection may influence the disease course of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Source: Meyerholz DK, Perlman S. Does common cold coronavirus infection protect against severe SARS-CoV-2 disease? J Clin Invest. 2021 Jan 4;131(1):e144807.