SARS-CoV-2-directed antibodies persist for more than six months in a cohort with mild to moderate COVID-19

2021 
OBJECTIVE: To follow serological immune responses of front-line healthcare workers after PCR-confirmed COVID-19 for a mean of 30 weeks, describe the time-course of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-specific IgG, IgA and IgM levels and to identify associations of the immune response with symptoms, demographic parameters and severity of disease METHODS: Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S protein-specific IgG, IgA and IgM antibodies were measured at three time points during the 30-week follow-up COVID-19-specific symptoms were assessed with standardized questionnaires RESULTS: 95% of the participants mounted an IgG response with only modest decline after week 12 IgG-type antibodies were still detectable in almost 90% of the subjects at 30 weeks IgA and IgM responses were less robust and antibody titers decreased more rapidly At 30 weeks, only 25% still had detectable IgA-type and none had IgM-type antibodies Higher age and higher disease severity were independently associated with higher IgG antibody levels, albeit with wide variations CONCLUSION: Serological immune responses after COVID-19 show considerable inter-individual variability, but show an association with increasing age and higher severity of disease IgG-type anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies remain positive in 90% of the individuals 30 weeks after onset of symptoms
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