New research laboratory in Munich
A team, led by Hector Fellow Prof. Dr. Christoph Klein, is conducting a new study in the first COVID-19 research laboratory in Munich.
Part of the team is also current Hector Fellow Academy doctoral researcher Daniel Petersheim. The aim of the study is to find out why children fall ill less frequently and usually less heavily than adults.
To find that out, infected patients will be given a throat swab to detect the SARS-CoV‑2 virus that causes respiratory disease. A stool sample and a blood sample are also taken. All samples are mixed with a substance that makes the virus inactive, so that the researchers do not become infected.
The examination of the samples should answer the key question of which defence cells, proteins and genes are activated by the corona virus. Although the study is specifically aimed at the disease in children, the results are also transferable to adults and thus relevant for all SARS-CoV‑2 patients. In total, the study will collect data from 500 children.
The current state of research is, that in addition to the virus, an overreaction of the immune system is probably responsible for the severe course of the disease. First official results are expected in a few months.