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. 2021 Sep 1;224(5):771-776.
doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiab125.

Shedding of Culturable Virus, Seroconversion, and 6-Month Follow-up Antibody Responses in the First 14 Confirmed Cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in the United States

Marie E Killerby  1 , Mohammed Ata Ur Rasheed  1 , Azaibi Tamin  1 , Jennifer L Harcourt  1 , Glen R Abedi  1 , Xiaoyan Lu  1 , Stephanie Kujawski  1 , Melisa M Shah  1   2 , Hannah L Kirking  1 , Jeremy A W Gold  1   2 , Phillip P Salvatore  1   2 , Melissa M Coughlin  1 , Brett Whitaker  1 , Jacqueline E Tate  1 , John T Watson  1 , Stephen Lindstrom  1 , Aron J Hall  1 , Alicia M Fry  1 , Susan I Gerber  1 , Claire M Midgley  1 , Natalie J Thornburg  1
Affiliations

Shedding of Culturable Virus, Seroconversion, and 6-Month Follow-up Antibody Responses in the First 14 Confirmed Cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in the United States

Marie E Killerby et al. J Infect Dis. .

Abstract

We aimed to characterize presence of culturable virus in clinical specimens during acute illness, and antibody kinetics up to 6 months after symptom onset, among 14 early patients with coronavirus disease 2019 in the United States. We isolated viable severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 from real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction-positive respiratory specimens collected during days 0-8 after onset, but not after. All 13 patients with 2 or more serum specimens developed anti-spike antibodies; 12 developed detectable neutralizing antibodies. We did not isolate virus after detection of neutralizing antibodies. Eight participants provided serum at 6 months after onset; all retained detectable anti-spike immunoglobulin G, and half had detectable neutralizing antibodies. Two participants reported not feeling fully recovered at 6 months.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2.

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