Immunity, Aging and COVID-19 : where do we stand?

SARS-CoV-2 had spread with speed unknown in recent history across the globe, sickening >50M people and killing over 1M.  By far the most of the severe cases and deaths were registered amongst adults older than 65, and often older than 50 years. We will discuss what makes this virus so well suited to disperse and infect so many and be so dangerous to older adults.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss what is SARS-CoV-2 and how is it different from other coronaviruses

2. Delineate the disease that this virus produces and what is unexpected in it

3. Review the immune response to this virus in adult and older populations, including  duration of immunity, and discuss potential immune vulnerability and protection by vaccination