Low Neutralizing Antibody Titers After Asymptomatic or Non-Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection Over a 6-Month Assessment Period

    February 2022 in “ Journal of Infection ”
    Catherine Lazor-Blanchet, Panagiota Zygoura, Urania Dafni, Frédéric Lamoth, Zoi Tsourti, Michael A. Lobritz, Jean Regina, Bruno Grandbastien, Craig Fenwick, Giuseppe Pantaleo, Thierry Calandra, Sylvain Meylan, NULL AUTHOR_ID
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    TLDR People with no symptoms or mild COVID-19 have lower antibody levels, increasing their risk of getting COVID-19 again.
    The research tracked the serological responses to SARS-CoV-2 in 335 healthcare workers with asymptomatic or non-critical infections over 6 months. It was found that those with asymptomatic and mild SARS-CoV-2 infections had lower antibody titers and neutralizing activity, leading to higher rates of re-infection. The median neutralizing activity of asymptomatic participants was significantly lower than those with mild or moderate-severe infection. The risk of re-infection varied based on the severity of the initial infection. The study supports the recommendation to vaccinate individuals who are seropositive following natural infection with SARS-CoV-2, especially those who had asymptomatic or mild infections, due to the observed low overall neutralizing activity over time in this group.
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