If you have fought off the common cold in the past, then chances are you already have some form of immunity to the coronavirus-COVID-19. This is according to scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology in California.

Researchers analysed 11 blood samples taken two years ago, from people who had been struck down with another type of coronavirus.

And they found that half of the samples contained disease-fighting T cells that recognised SARS-CoV-2 virus in the lab, and 20 per cent had cells that may able to kill the virus.

They claim the virus – which causes COVID-19 – wouldn’t be foreign to their immune system, and so they would be able to fight it off quickly.

But while this remains to be proven, it could explain why some people are barely affected by the virus, while others become severely sick or die.

Dr Shane Crotty, a co-author of the paper, said: ‘Our data show that the virus induces what you would expect from a typical, successful antiviral response.

“People were really worried that COVID-19 doesn’t induce immunity, and reports about people getting re-infected reinforced these concerns, but knowing now that the average person makes a solid immune response should largely put those concerns to rest,” he said.