Antibody Responses to SARS-CoV-2 Following an Outbreak Among Marine Recruits With Asymptomatic or Mild Infection

  • Irene Ramos
  • , Carl Goforth
  • , Alessandra Soares-Schanoski
  • , Dawn L. Weir
  • , Emily C. Samuels
  • , Shreshta Phogat
  • , Michelle Meyer
  • , Kai Huang
  • , Colette A. Pietzsch
  • , Yongchao Ge
  • , Brian L. Pike
  • , James Regeimbal
  • , Mark P. Simons
  • , Michael S. Termini
  • , Sindhu Vangeti
  • , Nada Marjanovic
  • , Stephen Lizewski
  • , Rhonda Lizewski
  • , Mary Catherine George
  • , Venugopalan D. Nair
  • Gregory R. Smith, Weiguang Mao, Maria Chikina, Christopher C. Broder, Eric D. Laing, Alexander Bukreyev, Stuart C. Sealfon, Andrew G. Letizia

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

We investigated serological responses following a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in spring 2020 on a US Marine recruit training base. 147 participants that were isolated during an outbreak of respiratory illness were enrolled in this study, with visits approximately 6 and 10 weeks post-outbreak (PO). This cohort is comprised of young healthy adults, ages 18-26, with a high rate of asymptomatic infection or mild symptoms, and therefore differs from previously reported longitudinal studies on humoral responses to SARS-CoV-2, which often focus on more diverse age populations and worse clinical presentation. 80.9% (119/147) of the participants presented with circulating IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) receptor-binding domain (RBD) at 6 weeks PO, of whom 97.3% (111/114) remained positive, with significantly decreased levels, at 10 weeks PO. Neutralizing activity was detected in all sera from SARS-CoV-2 IgG positive participants tested (n=38) at 6 and 10 weeks PO, without significant loss between time points. IgG and IgA antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 RBD, S1, S2, and the nucleocapsid (N) protein, as well neutralization activity, were generally comparable between those participants that had asymptomatic infection or mild disease. A multiplex assay including S proteins from SARS-CoV-2 and related zoonotic and human endemic betacoronaviruses revealed a positive correlation for polyclonal cross-reactivity to S after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Overall, young adults that experienced asymptomatic or mild SARS-CoV-2 infection developed comparable humoral responses, with no decrease in neutralizing activity at least up to 10 weeks after infection.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number681586
JournalFrontiers in immunology
Volume12
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 9 2021

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • SARS-COV-2
  • antibodies
  • outbreak
  • young adults

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Immunology and Allergy
  • Immunology

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