Is innate immunity our best weapon for flattening the curve?

Angka, Leonard Market Marisa Ardolino Michele Auer Rebecca C.; Angka, Leonard; Market, Marisa; Ardolino, Michele; Auer, Rebecca C

The COVID-19 pandemic is a stern reminder not to take our immune system for granted. The fact that some individuals contract and clear the SARS-CoV-2 virus without apparent symptoms stands in sharp contrast to the damage that this virus has brought upon more vulnerable populations, including the elderly and patients with chronic conditions or cancer. While the differences in severity of infection between these populations are multifactorial, it is likely that innate immunity provides the underpinning, given its central role in the early response to viral infections. Within two decades, there have been three known coronavirus zoonoses (SARS-CoV-1, MERS, and SARS-CoV-2), all of which have taken a devastating toll on the human and economic health of affected societies. Unfortunately, with the frequency and diffusion of novel zoonoses, this is unlikely to be our last battle. As we begin the long and daunting recovery from this pandemic, we must take the opportunity to think about how to exploit our innate immune system to better prepare us to fight the next virus.