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. 2024 Jun;29(26):2300659.
doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2024.29.26.2300659.

A longitudinal study on SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion, reinfection and neutralisation spanning several variant waves and vaccination campaigns, Heinsberg, Germany, April 2020 to November 2022

Bianca Schulte  1   2 , Enrico Richter  1   2 , Antonia Büning  2 , Maximilian Baum  2 , Annika Breuer  2 , Jasmin Zorn  2 , Julia König  2 , Melanie Geiger  2 , Monika Eschbach-Bludau  2 , Johanna Heuser  2 , Dominik Zölzer  2 , Marek Korencak  2 , Ronja Hollstein  3 , Eva Beins  3 , Dorian Emmert  2 , Souhaib Aldabbagh  2 , Anna Maria Eis-Hübinger  2 , Hendrik Streeck  1   2
Affiliations

A longitudinal study on SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion, reinfection and neutralisation spanning several variant waves and vaccination campaigns, Heinsberg, Germany, April 2020 to November 2022

Bianca Schulte et al. Euro Surveill. 2024 Jun.

Abstract

BackgroundSince its emergence in December 2019, over 700 million people worldwide have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 up to May 2024. While early rollout of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 has saved many lives, there was increasing immune escape of new virus variants. Longitudinal monitoring of population-wide SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses from regular sample collection irrespective of symptoms provides representative data on infection and seroconversion/seroreversion rates.AimTo examine adaptive and cellular immune responses of a German SARS-CoV-2 outbreak cohort through several waves of infection with different virus variants.MethodsUtilising a 31-month longitudinal seroepidemiological study (n = 1,446; mean age: 50 years, range: 2-103) initiated during the first SARS-CoV-2 superspreading event (February 2020) in Heinsberg, Germany, we analysed acute infection, seroconversion and virus neutralisation at five follow-up visits between October 2020 and November 2022; cellular and cross-protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants were also examined.ResultsSARS-CoV-2 spike (S)-specific IgAs decreased shortly after infection, while IgGs remained stable. Both increased significantly after vaccination. We predict an 18-month half-life of S IgGs upon infection. Nucleocapsid (N)-specific responses declined over 12 months post-infection but increased (p < 0.0001) during Omicron. Frequencies of SARS-CoV-2-specific TNF-alpha+/IFN-gamma+ CD4+ T-cells declined over 12 months after infection (p < 0.01). SARS-CoV-2 S antibodies and neutralisation titres were highest in triple-vaccinated participants infected between April 2021 and November 2022 compared with infections between April 2020 and January 2021. Cross neutralisation against Omicron BQ.1.18 and XBB.1.5 was very low in all groups.ConclusionInfection and/or vaccination did not provide the population with cross-protection against Omicron variants.

Keywords: BA.1; BA.2; BA.5; BQ.1.1; COVID-19; Omicron; SARS-CoV-2; XBB1.5; cohort study; long-term immunity; pandemic preparedness; seroconversion.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Waves of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and antibody responses in the study cohort at six time points, Heinsberg, Germany, April 2020–November 2022 (n = 231 individuals)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Antigen-specific CD4+ T-cell cytokine responses of SARS-CoV-2-infected volunteers, Heinsberg, Germany, April 2020–April 2021 (n = 19 individuals)
Figure 3
Figure 3
Cumulative seroconversion, acute infection and neutralisation capacity, Heinsberg, Germany, April 2020–November 2022
Figure 4
Figure 4
Outbreak analysis of individuals who tested SARS-CoV-2-positive during the time Omicron BA and BE variants emerged, Heinsberg, Germany, June 2022
Figure 5
Figure 5
Comparative subgroup analysis of triple vaccinees, Heinsberg, Germany, April 2020–November 2022 (n = 271individuals)
Figure 6
Figure 6
Neutralisation capacity against recent Omicron variants BQ.1.18 and XBB1.5, BA.1 and BA.5, Heinsberg, Germany, November 2021–November 2022
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