Durability of Immunity to SARS-CoV-2 and Other Respiratory Viruses

Siggins, Matthew K.; Thwaites, Ryan S.; Openshaw, Peter

doi:10.1016/j.tim.2021.03.016

Cited by 48 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 131 publications

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“…34 Among other respiratory viruses, including the seasonal coronaviruses, respiratory syncytial virus, and influenza virus, infection tends to lead to the production of neutralising antibodies that are transiently protective against reinfection. 35 Natural infection studies have shown that waning protective immunity allows for reinfection with seasonal coronaviruses within a 12-month window (although strain variation, not accounted for in these studies, might partly explain this short-lived immunity). 36,37 In a study of adults naturally infected with respiratory syncytial virus, 73% (11 of 15) were reinfected within an 8-month period, 38 whereas in an infant study, 36% (45 of 125) were reinfected in a 24-month period from birth, with the risk of reinfection negatively correlating with the neutralising antibody titre from the previous infection.…”

Section: Sars-cov-2 Immunity In Contextmentioning

confidence: 86%

Does infection with or vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 lead to lasting immunity?

Milne

Hames

Scotton

et al. 2021

The Lancet Respiratory Medicine

124

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Many nations are pursuing the rollout of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines as an exit strategy from unprecedented COVID-19related restrictions. However, the success of this strategy relies critically on the duration of protective immunity resulting from both natural infection and vaccination. SARS-CoV-2 infection elicits an adaptive immune response against a large breadth of viral epitopes, although the duration of the response varies with age and disease severity. Current evidence from case studies and large observational studies suggests that, consistent with research on other common respiratory viruses, a protective immunological response lasts for approximately 5-12 months from primary infection, with reinfection being more likely given an insufficiently robust primary humoral response. Markers of humoral and cell-mediated immune memory can persist over many months, and might help to mitigate against severe disease upon reinfection. Emerging data, including evidence of breakthrough infections, suggest that vaccine effectiveness might be reduced significantly against emerging variants of concern, and hence secondary vaccines will need to be developed to maintain population-level protective immunity. Nonetheless, other interventions will also be required, with further outbreaks likely to occur due to antigenic drift, selective pressures for novel variants, and global population mobility.

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Section: Sars-cov-2 Immunity In Contextmentioning

confidence: 86%

Does infection with or vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 lead to lasting immunity?

Milne

Hames

Scotton

et al. 2021

The Lancet Respiratory Medicine

124

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Therefore, the results for adults should not be overinterpreted as only a small sample of 0.5% of the total adult population in the city was investigated. SARS-CoV-2 antibodies indicate that a person has been infected (and/or COVID-19 vaccinated) and IgGs can be detected in the blood as soon as two weeks after infection (23) and beyond. This is consistent with previous findings (24), where about two-thirds of the mild COVID-19 adult controls still had RBD binding IgG titres 6 months after symptom onset in blood -but also in saliva although at a lower magnitude.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Non-Invasive Antibody Assessment in Saliva to Determine SARS-CoV-2 Exposure in Young Children

et al. 2021

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Saliva is a body fluid with hitherto unused potential for the assessment of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Specific antibodies can indicate a past SARS-CoV-2 infection and allow to estimate the proportion of individuals with a potential protective immunity. First, we carefully characterized plasma samples obtained from adult control groups with and without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection using certified reference ELISAs. Simultaneously collected saliva samples of confirmed convalescent and negative individuals where then used to validate the herein newly developed ELISA for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in saliva. The saliva ELISA was applied to assess SARS-CoV-2 exposure in young children (N = 837) in the age between 1 and 10 years in Tübingen, Germany, towards the end of the first pandemic year 2020. Sensitivity and specificity of the new saliva ELISA was 87% and 100%, respectively. With 12% of all Tübingen children sampled via their respective educational institutions, estimates of SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence was 1.6%. Interestingly, only 0.4% preschool kids were positive compared to 3.0% of primary school children. Less than 20% of positive children self-reported symptoms within two months prior to saliva sampling that could be associated - but not exclusively - with a SARS-CoV-2 infection. The saliva ELISA is a valid and suitable protocol to enable population-based surveys for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Using non-invasive sampling and saliva ELISA testing, we found that prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was significantly lower in young children than in primary school children.

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“…An initial waning of antibody titres is typically seen after resolution of an acute viral infection. 3,4 In the case of some viruses, long-lived plasma cells are then able to maintain antibodies for decades. [5][6][7] By contrast, in the months following infection with other viruses, including human coronaviruses like SARS-CoV-2, neutralising antibodies continue to wane and can drop below the threshold of detection in a proportion of individuals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

SARS-CoV-2-specific memory B cells can persist in the elderly despite loss of neutralising antibodies

Jeffery-Smith

Burton

Lens

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Memory B cells (MBC) can provide a recall response able to supplement waning antibodies with an affinity-matured response better able to neutralise variant viruses. We studied a cohort of vulnerable elderly care home residents and younger staff, a high proportion of whom had lost neutralising antibodies (nAb), to investigate their reserve immunity from SARS-CoV-2-specific MBC. Class-switched spike and RBD-tetramer-binding MBC with a classical phenotype persisted five months post-mild/asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, irrespective of age. Spike/RBD-specific MBC remained detectable in the majority who had lost nAb, although at lower frequencies and with a reduced IgG/IgA isotype ratio. Functional spike/S1/RBD-specific recall was also detectable by ELISpot in some who had lost nAb, but was significantly impaired in the elderly, particularly to RBD. Our findings demonstrate persistence of SARS-CoV-2-specific MBC beyond loss of nAb, but highlight the need for careful monitoring of functional defects in RBD-specific B cell immunity in the elderly.

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Durability of Immunity to SARS-CoV-2 and Other Respiratory Viruses

Cited by 48 publications

References 131 publications

Does infection with or vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 lead to lasting immunity?

Does infection with or vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 lead to lasting immunity?

Non-Invasive Antibody Assessment in Saliva to Determine SARS-CoV-2 Exposure in Young Children

SARS-CoV-2-specific memory B cells can persist in the elderly despite loss of neutralising antibodies

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