Change in antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 over 60 days among health care personnel in Nashville, Tennessee

September 17, 2020

Patel MM, Thornburg NJ, Stubblefield WB, et al.

JAMA

Patel et al. assessed the duration of antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in health care personnel. A convenience sample of health care personnel at Vanderbilt University Medical Center was used. Participants were tested for seroprevalence between April 3 and April 13, 2020 (baseline) and June 2 and June 27, 2020 (60-day follow-up). A total of 249 participants were tested at baseline and 230 (92%) returned for the second test. Nineteen (7.6%) tested positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies at baseline. Eight (42%) of these individuals remained seropositive throughout the 60 days with six (75%) reporting symptoms prior to the baseline visit. The other 11 (58%) tested negative at the follow-up test. Of these 11, five (45%) reported symptoms prior to the baseline visit. All 19 participants who tested positive at baseline showed a decrease in antibody concentration over the 60-day period. Those who remained seropositive over the 60-day period showed a higher signal-to- threshold ratio at baseline than those who initially tested positive, but then tested negative the second time (4.8 vs. 1.4). The findings suggest cross-sectional seroprevalence studies may not accurately assess rates of prior infection as antibody concentrations appear to decrease below the threshold of detection over time.

Patel MM, Thornburg NJ, Stubblefield WB, et al. Change in Antibodies to SARS- CoV-2 Over 60 Days Among Health Care Personnel in Nashville, Tennessee. JAMA 2020; published online Sept. DOI:10.1001/jama.2020.18796.

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