On May 19, 2020, in a study published in Cell Reports, researchers at the University of Hong Kong and Scripps Research explored whether antibodies produced in response to one coronavirus might be protective against a different type of coronavirus-knowledge that could offer important clues to creating a broadly effective vaccine.

Specifically, they tested the cross-protective properties of antibodies from SARS-CoV, which causes SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19.