Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

November 13, 2020

Diagnosis and Tracking of Past SARS-CoV-2 Infection in a Large Study of Vo’ Italy Through T-Cell Receptor Sequencing

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  • [Pre-print, not peer-reviewed] The presence of T-cells reactive to SARS-CoV-2 was found to be a strong indicator of past SARS-CoV-2 infection. In a large population study (n = 2,200) in Italy that included 70 individuals with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, blood samples taken 60 days after PCR diagnosis indicated that 97% of the people with PCR-confirmed infection had a positive T-cell test result. This percentage was higher than the antibody serology assay (77%). The T-cell response was associated with disease severity, with significantly higher response among people who were symptomatic or hospitalized compared to those who were asymptomatic.

Gittelman et al. (Nov 12, 2020). Diagnosis and Tracking of Past SARS-CoV-2 Infection in a Large Study of Vo’ Italy Through T-Cell Receptor Sequencing. MedRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.11.09.20228023