Journal article
The duration, dynamics and determinants of SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses in individual healthcare workers
- Abstract:
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Background
SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody measurements can be used to estimate the proportion of a population exposed or infected and may be informative about the risk of future infection. Previous estimates of the duration of antibody responses vary.
Methods
We present 6 months of data from a longitudinal seroprevalence study of 3276 UK healthcare workers (HCWs). Serial measurements of SARS-CoV-2 anti-nucleocapsid and anti-spike IgG were obtained. Interval censored survival analysis was used to investigate the duration of detectable responses. Additionally, Bayesian mixed linear models were used to investigate anti-nucleocapsid waning.
Results
Anti-spike IgG levels remained stably detected after a positive result, e.g., in 94% (95% credibility interval, CrI, 91-96%) of HCWs at 180 days. Anti-nucleocapsid IgG levels rose to a peak at 24 (95% credibility interval, CrI 19-31) days post first PCR-positive test, before beginning to fall. Considering 452 anti-nucleocapsid seropositive HCWs over a median of 121 days from their maximum positive IgG titre, the mean estimated antibody half-life was 85 (95%CrI, 81-90) days. Higher maximum observed antinucleocapsid titres were associated with longer estimated antibody half-lives. Increasing age, Asian ethnicity and prior self-reported symptoms were independently associated with higher maximum antinucleocapsid levels and increasing age and a positive PCR test undertaken for symptoms with longer anti-nucleocapsid half-lives.
Conclusion
SARS-CoV-2 anti-nucleocapsid antibodies wane within months, and faster in younger adults and those without symptoms. However, anti-spike IgG remains stably detected. Ongoing longitudinal studies are required to track the long-term duration of antibody levels and their association with immunity to SARSCoV-2 reinfection.
- Publication status:
- Published
- Peer review status:
- Peer reviewed
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(Preview, Version of record, 4.0MB, Terms of use)
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- Publisher copy:
- 10.1093/cid/ciab004
- Publisher:
- Infectious Diseases Society of America
- Journal:
- Clinical Infectious Diseases More from this journal
- Volume:
- 73
- Issue:
- 3
- Pages:
- e699-e709
- Publication date:
- 2021-01-06
- Acceptance date:
- 2020-12-09
- DOI:
- EISSN:
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1537-6591
- ISSN:
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1058-4838
- Language:
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English
- Keywords:
- Pubs id:
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1150381
- Local pid:
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pubs:1150381
- Deposit date:
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2020-12-19
Terms of use
- Copyright holder:
- Lumley et al.
- Copyright date:
- 2021
- Rights statement:
- © The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. his is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial reproduction and distribution of the work, in any medium, provided the original work is not altered or transformed in any way, and that the work is properly cited. For commercial re-use, please contact [email protected]
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