COVID-19 Makes B Cells Forget, but T Cells Remember

Abstract

Understanding which arms of the immune response are responsible for protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection is key to predicting long-term immunity and to inform vaccine design. Two studies in this issue of Cell collectively suggest that, although SARS-CoV-2 infection may blunt long-lived antibody responses, immune memory might still be achieved through virus-specific memory T cells.

Figure 1

Seropositivity to SARS-CoV-2 May Underestimate COVID-19 Prevalence or Immunity Quantification of the percentage of individuals with detectable T cell responses, serum antibodies, or germinal centers across SARS-CoV-2-exposed individuals (either asymptomatic or those with mild or severe COVID-19 symptoms) or two cohorts of seemingly healthy unexposed individuals (blood samples collected either before or during the COVID-19 pandemic). Serum antibodies and T cell responses are found in most patients with either severe or mild COVID-19. GC responses are absent in severe cases of COVID-19, but whether they are detectable in mild or asymptomatic individuals remains unknown. Most asymptomatic COVID-19 cases showed strong T cell responses even if only ∼60% of these individuals were seropositive for SARS-CoV-2.