Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

June 1, 2021

SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Kinetics Eight Months from COVID-19 Onset: Persistence of Spike Antibodies but Loss of Neutralizing Antibodies in 24% of Convalescent Plasma Donors

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  • Following infection with SARS-CoV-2, the half-life of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies was shorter than the half-life of antibodies directed against spike or nucleocapsid. In a cohort study of 148 individuals followed for a median of 8.3 months, antibodies followed a biphasic decay curve. Neutralizing antibody titers contracted the fastest, with an estimated half-life of 47 days in the first 0-6 months following infection and 27 days beyond 6 months post-infection. The half-life of anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike antibodies was estimated to be 97 days 0-6 months after symptom onset and 169 days 6 months or more after symptom onset. Anti-nucleocapsid antibodies declined faster than spike with half-life estimates of 47 and 168 days 0-6 months and 6 months or more after symptom onset, respectively. Older age (>50 years) and hospitalization were associated with higher antibody levels.

Terpos et al. (May 2021). SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Kinetics Eight Months from COVID-19 Onset: Persistence of Spike Antibodies but Loss of Neutralizing Antibodies in 24% of Convalescent Plasma Donors. European Journal of Internal Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejim.2021.05.010