TY - JOUR
T1 - Antibody persistence and neutralising activity in primary school students and staff
T2 - Prospective active surveillance, June to December 2020, England
AU - Ireland, Georgina
AU - Jeffery-Smith, Anna
AU - Zambon, Maria
AU - Hoschler, Katja
AU - Harris, Ross
AU - Poh, John
AU - Baawuah, Frances
AU - Beckmann, Joanne
AU - Okike, Ifeanyichukwu O.
AU - Ahmad, Shazaad
AU - Garstang, Joanna
AU - Brent, Andrew J.
AU - Brent, Bernadette
AU - Aiano, Felicity
AU - Amin-Chowdhury, Zahin
AU - Letley, Louise
AU - Jones, Samuel E.I.
AU - Kall, Meaghan
AU - Patel, Monika
AU - Gopal, Robin
AU - Borrow, Ray
AU - Linley, Ezra
AU - Amirthalingam, Gayatri
AU - Brown, Kevin E.
AU - Ramsay, Mary E.
AU - Ladhani, Shamez N.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021
PY - 2021/11
Y1 - 2021/11
N2 - Background: Prospective, longitudinal SARS-CoV-2 sero-surveillance in schools across England was initiated after the first national lockdown, allowing comparison of child and adult antibody responses over time. Methods: Prospective active serological surveillance in 46 primary schools in England tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies during June, July and December 2020. Samples were tested for nucleocapsid (N) and receptor binding domain (RBD) antibodies, to estimate antibody persistence at least 6 months after infection, and for the correlation of N, RBD and live virus neutralising activity. Findings: In June 2020, 1,344 staff and 835 students were tested. Overall, 11.5% (95%CI: 9.4–13.9) and 11.3% (95%CI: 9.2–13.6; p = 0.88) of students had nucleoprotein and RBD antibodies, compared to 15.6% (95%CI: 13.7–17.6) and 15.3% (95%CI: 13.4–17.3; p = 0.83) of staff. Live virus neutralising activity was detected in 79.8% (n = 71/89) of nucleocapsid and 85.5% (71/83) of RBD antibody positive children. RBD antibodies correlated more strongly with neutralising antibodies (rs=0.7527; p<0.0001) than nucleocapsid antibodies (rs=0.3698; p<0.0001). A median of 24.4 weeks later, 58.2% (107/184) participants had nucleocapsid antibody seroreversion, compared to 20.9% (33/158) for RBD (p<0.001). Similar seroreversion rates were observed between staff and students for nucleocapsid (p = 0.26) and RBD-antibodies (p = 0.43). Nucleocapsid and RBD antibody quantitative results were significantly lower in staff compared to students (p = 0.028 and <0.0001 respectively) at baseline, but not at 24 weeks (p = 0.16 and p = 0.37, respectively). Interpretation: The immune response in children following SARS-CoV-2 infection was robust and sustained (>6 months) but further work is required to understand the extent to which this protects against reinfection. Funding: Department for Health and Social Care.
AB - Background: Prospective, longitudinal SARS-CoV-2 sero-surveillance in schools across England was initiated after the first national lockdown, allowing comparison of child and adult antibody responses over time. Methods: Prospective active serological surveillance in 46 primary schools in England tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies during June, July and December 2020. Samples were tested for nucleocapsid (N) and receptor binding domain (RBD) antibodies, to estimate antibody persistence at least 6 months after infection, and for the correlation of N, RBD and live virus neutralising activity. Findings: In June 2020, 1,344 staff and 835 students were tested. Overall, 11.5% (95%CI: 9.4–13.9) and 11.3% (95%CI: 9.2–13.6; p = 0.88) of students had nucleoprotein and RBD antibodies, compared to 15.6% (95%CI: 13.7–17.6) and 15.3% (95%CI: 13.4–17.3; p = 0.83) of staff. Live virus neutralising activity was detected in 79.8% (n = 71/89) of nucleocapsid and 85.5% (71/83) of RBD antibody positive children. RBD antibodies correlated more strongly with neutralising antibodies (rs=0.7527; p<0.0001) than nucleocapsid antibodies (rs=0.3698; p<0.0001). A median of 24.4 weeks later, 58.2% (107/184) participants had nucleocapsid antibody seroreversion, compared to 20.9% (33/158) for RBD (p<0.001). Similar seroreversion rates were observed between staff and students for nucleocapsid (p = 0.26) and RBD-antibodies (p = 0.43). Nucleocapsid and RBD antibody quantitative results were significantly lower in staff compared to students (p = 0.028 and <0.0001 respectively) at baseline, but not at 24 weeks (p = 0.16 and p = 0.37, respectively). Interpretation: The immune response in children following SARS-CoV-2 infection was robust and sustained (>6 months) but further work is required to understand the extent to which this protects against reinfection. Funding: Department for Health and Social Care.
KW - Antibody
KW - SARS-CoV-2
KW - School
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85122654833&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.101150
DO - 10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.101150
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85122654833
SN - 2589-5370
VL - 41
JO - EClinicalMedicine
JF - EClinicalMedicine
M1 - 101150
ER -