Despite the control measures implemented all over the world, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to spread. [1] According to the data of the World Health Organization (WHO) dated 14 August 2021, 205.338.159 cases and 4.333.094 deaths were reported, and 4.428.168.759 doses of vaccine were administered. [2] COVID-19 causes humoral immune response and antibody production against specific viral antigens such as N protein and S protein. [3] Since the beginning of the outbreak, more than 198 vaccines developed or in clinical development for COVID-19 have been reported. [4] Objective: Antibodies against the S protein are used to investigate post-vaccine and post-infection immunity. In this study, it was aimed to determine the antibody levels and the efficacy of the vaccine after the CoronaVac vaccine in healthcare workers.Methods: Data from 96 healthcare workers who had the CoronaVac vaccine were analyzed. From the first dose, monthly antibody measurements were made over a 5-months period with an interval of 28 days between two vaccine doses. Total antibodies (IgM and IgG) against SARS-CoV-2 were detected by the Electrochemiluminescence method using the Elecsys ® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S kit, which contains recombinant protein representing the receptor-binding site of the S1 antigen.Results: 51% (n=49) of the volunteers aged 22-69 (39.75±11.19) were female. The mean antibody concentration was 8.93 U/mL one month after the first vaccine dose, 171.30 IU/ mL one month after the second vaccine dose, 125.90 IU/mL two months after the second dose, 98.57 IU three months later, and 89.85 IU/mL after four months. Increase in antibody levels in the first and second months; The decreases in antibody levels in the in the following months were statistically significant. The proportion of subjects with antibody positivity ≥0.8 IU/mL and developing neutralizing antibodies (≥15 IU/mL) was 68.75% and 5.21% after the first dose of vaccination. The rate of individuals developing neutralizing antibodies were 100%, 93.8%, 91.7%, and 89.6% with regard to the months after the second dose of vaccination. One person had SARS-CoV-2 D3L-containing variant (UK variant) PCR positivity 9 weeks after the second vaccine dose. Conclusion:In the long-term follow-up, the neutralizing antibody level was found to be significantly higher even at the end of the 5th month, indicating that the vaccine is protective. The decrease in post-vaccination antibody concentrations and the emergence of new SARS-COV-2 variants suggest that a booster dose may be beneficial.

Tens of thousands of people worldwide became infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2. Death rate in the general population is about 1%-6%, but this rate rises up to 15% in those with comorbidities. Recent publications showed that the clinical progression of this disease in organ recipients is more destructive, with a fatality rate of up to 14%-25%. We aimed to review the effect of the pandemic on various transplantation patients. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has not only interrupted the lives of waiting list patients’; it has also impacted transplantation strategies, transplant surgeries and broken donation chains. COVID-19 was directly and indirectly accountable for a 73% surplus in mortality of this population as compared to wait listed patients in earlier years. The impact of chronic immunosuppression on outcomes of COVID-19 remains unclear but understanding the immunological mechanisms related to the virus is critically important for the lifetime of transplantation and immune suppressed patients. It is hard to endorse changing anti-rejection therapy, as the existing data evaluation is not adequate to advise substituting tacrolimus with cyclosporine during severe COVID-19 disease.

Background. The latest coronavirus infection due to SARS-CoV-2, which started in China in December 2019, was announced as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020. All epidemiological data so far show us that SARS-CoV-2 infection is less serious in children than in adults. Allergic asthma, the most common chronic disease in children, is usually not to be related to greater risk or severity for COVID-19 in pediatric populations. Although reports/research on asthma and COVID-19 in children have thus far been comforting, when coming across an asthma patient with any lower airway infection, attention should be given to evaluate their asthma control level and the possibility of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Case Report. Here, we report a rare adolescent case of COVID-19-related pneumonia development with underlying asthma. A 16-year-old male patient has been followed up by the pediatric allergy outpatient clinic with the diagnosis of asthma for the last 5 years. He was thought to have typical clinical and laboratory findings for SARS-CoV-2 infection combined with underlying pediatric (allergic) asthma. Pulmonary CT showed findings consistent with COVID-19-related pneumonia. He was discharged after 1 week when all his complaints regressed, his examination became normal, and 5-day favipiravir treatment was completed. Conclusion. When a physician comes across an asthma patient with any lower airway infection, attention should be given to evaluate their asthma control level and possibility of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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