Prior SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with protection against symptomatic reinfection

Abstract

Prior SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with protection against symptomatic reinfectionTo the editor, It has been recently suggested that prior exposure to seasonal coronaviruses might confer cross-protection against SARS-CoV-2. 1 Whether SARS-CoV-2 infection itself confers immunity to reinfection has not been established. Immunity is probable, at least in the short term, because reinfections are infrequently reported, despite over 55 million primary infections occurring worldwide since December 2019. 2 Protection against short term reinfection has been observed in a non-human primate model of SARS-CoV-2. 3 A small clinical study was also suggestive. 4 Immunity to seasonal coronaviruses is maintained for up to 12 months. 5 The second wave of SARS-CoV-2 transmission provides an opportunity to detect early signals of immunity. We previously defined a large cohort of over 11,0 0 0 healthcare workers (HCWs) with documented evidence of previous infection status during the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, from March to April 2020. A second wave of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurred in our setting from October to November 2020, approximately 7 months later. We undertook a retrospective analysis of HCW testing data during this second wave, to address the question of whether previous SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with protection.

Is COVID-19 severity associated with anti-spike antibody duration? Data from the ARCOVID prospective observational study

“…This relationship has already been highlighted in the acute phase studies 8 and our data add information on midterm follow-up (approximately 7 months) according to COVID-19 severity. Our observation of no symptomatic reinfection is in line with the low rate of reinfection reported in the literature suggesting a likely immunity provided by the natural infection which persist in the midterm 1 . Furthermore, some of the recently developed vaccines base their theoretical efficacy on the production of on the S1 + S2 protein antibodies 9 .…”

“…Is COVID-19 severity associated with anti-spike antibody duration? Data from the ARCOVID prospective observational study Dear Editor, we read with interest the article by AT Hanrath and colleagues in which the Authors showed the association between prior SARS-CoV-2 infection and protection against symptomatic reinfection 1 . The study confirms the need for a better understanding of the immunological response to SARS-CoV-2 infection.…”

SARS-CoV-2 re-infection risk in Austria

“…1,2 A key question concerning measures against COVID-19 is the strength and durability of immunity against this disease in individuals previously infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] Vaccination strategies, considerations regarding herd immunity, and overall simulations for the pandemic depend on the efficacy and the time course of immunity against COVID-19. 5 Data on immune responses to COVID-19 are limited by knowledge gaps regarding their dynamics over time and their clinical significance with reference to protection against re-infections.…”

“…5 Data on immune responses to COVID-19 are limited by knowledge gaps regarding their dynamics over time and their clinical significance with reference to protection against re-infections. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] There is evidence for re-infections from numerous case reports, but it is occasionally challenging to differentiate true re-infections from prolonged viral shedding that may last for up to about 4 months. 5,11,12 Notably, a study of 12,541 health care workers in the UK recently found major protection against re-infection for those who had anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies determined by anti-spike and anti-nucleocapsid assays versus those who did not.…”

“…13 Similarly, another recent study among health care workers from the UK reported no re-infection case in 1038 individuals with evidence of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection based on PCR tests and/or antibody status. 10 While these studies suggest a high protection against SARS-CoV-2 re-infections in health care workers, the risk of re-infections in the general population remains uncertain.…”