Media Admits People Who Get COVID Will 'Probably Make Antibodies For A Lifetime'

Many people who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 will probably make antibodies against the virus for most of their lives. So suggest researchers who have identified long-lived antibody-producing cells in the bone marrow of people who have recovered from COVID-19.

The study provides evidence that immunity triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection will be extraordinarily long-lasting. [...]

Researchers presumed that SARS-CoV-2 infection would trigger the development of BMPCs -- nearly all viral infections do -- but there have been signs that severe COVID-19 may disrupt the cells' formation. Some early COVID-19 immunity studies also stoked worries, when they found that antibody levels plunged not long after recovery.

Ellebedy's team tracked antibody production in 77 people who recovered from mostly mild cases of COVID-19. As expected, SARS-CoV-2 antibodies plummeted in the four months after infection. But this decline slowed, and up to eleven months after infection, the researchers could still detect antibodies that recognized the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

To identify the source of the antibodies, Ellebedy's team collected memory B cells and bone marrow from a subset of participants. Seven months after developing symptoms, most of these participants still had memory B cells that recognize SARS-CoV-2. In 15 of the 18 bone-marrow samples, the scientists found ultra-low but detectable populations of BMPCs whose formation had been triggered by the individuals' coronavirus infections 7 to 8 months before. Levels of these cells were stable in all five people who gave another bone-marrow sample several months later.

Mental Health of Adolescents in the Pandemic: Long-COVID-19 or Long-Pandemic Syndrome?

Blankenburg J, Wekenborg MK, Reichert J, Kirsten C, Kahre E, Haag L, Schumm L, Czyborra P, Berner R, Armann JP
Preprint from SSRN, 12 May 2021
DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.3844826 PPR: PPR344017

Backround: Post-COVID19 complications such as pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS) and Long-COVID19 move increasingly into focus, potentially causing more harm in this age group than the acute infection. To better understand the symptoms of long-COVID19 in adolescents and to distinguish infection-associated symptoms from pandemic-associated symptoms, we conducted a Long-COVID19 survey, comparing responses from seropositive and seronegative adolescents. To our knowledge, data of Long-COVID19 surveys with seronegative control groups have not been published yet.

Methods: Since May 2020 students grade 8-12 in fourteen secondary schools in Eastern Saxony were enrolled in the SchoolCovid19 study. Seroprevalence was assessed via serial SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing in all participants. Furthermore, during the March/April 2021 study visit all participants were asked to complete a 12 question Long-COVID19 survey regarding the occurrence and frequency of difficulties concentrating, memory loss, listlessness, headache, abdominal pain, myalgia/ arthralgia, fatigue, insomnia and mood (sadness, anger, happiness and tenseness).

Findings: 1560 students with a median age of 15 years participated in this study. 1365 (88%) were seronegative, 188 (12%) were seropositive. Each symptom was present in at least 35% of the students within the last seven days before the survey. However, there was no statistical difference comparing the reported symptoms between seropositive students and seronegative students. Whether the infection was known or unknown to the participant did not influence the prevalence of symptoms.