International Journal of Infectious Diseases (Oct 2022)
Nucleocapsid and spike antibody responses following virologically confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection: an observational analysis in the Virus Watch community cohort
- Annalan M D Navaratnam,
- Madhumita Shrotri,
- Vincent Nguyen,
- Isobel Braithwaite,
- Sarah Beale,
- Thomas E Byrne,
- Wing Lam Erica Fong,
- Ellen Fragaszy,
- Cyril Geismar,
- Susan Hoskins,
- Jana Kovar,
- Parth Patel,
- Alexei Yavlinsky,
- Anna Aryee,
- Alison Rodger,
- Andrew C Hayward,
- Robert W Aldridge,
- Susan Michie,
- Pia Hardelid,
- Linda Wijlaars,
- Eleni Nastouli,
- Moira Spyer,
- Ben Killingley,
- Ingemar Cox,
- Vasileios Lampos,
- Rachel A McKendry,
- Tao Cheng,
- Yunzhe Liu,
- Jo Gibbs,
- Richard Gilson,
- Anne M Johnson
Affiliations
- Annalan M D Navaratnam
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, United Kingdom
- Madhumita Shrotri
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, United Kingdom
- Vincent Nguyen
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, United Kingdom
- Isobel Braithwaite
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, United Kingdom
- Sarah Beale
- Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Thomas E Byrne
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, United Kingdom
- Wing Lam Erica Fong
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, United Kingdom
- Ellen Fragaszy
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, United Kingdom
- Cyril Geismar
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, United Kingdom
- Susan Hoskins
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, United Kingdom
- Jana Kovar
- Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Parth Patel
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, United Kingdom
- Alexei Yavlinsky
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, United Kingdom
- Anna Aryee
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, United Kingdom
- Alison Rodger
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Andrew C Hayward
- Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Robert W Aldridge
- Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, United Kingdom; Corresponding author: Prof Robert W Aldridge, Institute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, United Kingdom. Tel: 0207692000 ext 65541.
- Susan Michie
- Centre for Behaviour Change, University College London, London, UK
- Pia Hardelid
- Department of Population, Policy and Practice, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
- Linda Wijlaars
- Department of Population, Policy and Practice, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
- Eleni Nastouli
- Department of Population, Policy and Practice, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK; Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Moira Spyer
- Department of Population, Policy and Practice, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK; Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Ben Killingley
- Department of Population, Policy and Practice, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK; Health Protection and Influenza Research Group, Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Nottingham School of Medicine, Nottingham, UK; University College London Hospital, London, UK
- Ingemar Cox
- Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK
- Vasileios Lampos
- Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, UK
- Rachel A McKendry
- London Centre for Nanotechnology and Division of Medicine, London, University College London, UK
- Tao Cheng
- SpaceTimeLab, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, London, UK
- Yunzhe Liu
- SpaceTimeLab, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, London, UK
- Jo Gibbs
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
- Richard Gilson
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
- Anne M Johnson
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
- Journal volume & issue
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Vol. 123
pp. 104 – 111
Abstract
Objectives: Seroprevalence studies can provide a measure of SARS-CoV-2 cumulative incidence, but a better understanding of spike and nucleocapsid (anti-N) antibody dynamics following infection is needed to assess the longevity of detectability. Methods: Adults aged ≥18 years, from households enrolled in the Virus Watch prospective community cohort study in England and Wales, provided monthly capillary blood samples, which were tested for spike antibody and anti-N. Participants self-reported vaccination dates and past medical history. Previous polymerase chain reaction (PCR) swabs were obtained through Second Generation Surveillance System linkage data. The primary outcome variables were seropositivity and total anti-N and spike antibody levels after PCR-confirmed infection. Results: A total of 13,802 eligible individuals provided 58,770 capillary blood samples. A total of 537 of these had a previous positive PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection within 0-269 days of antibody sample date, among them 432 (80.45%) having a positive anti-N result. Median anti-N levels peaked between days 90 and 119 after PCR results and then began to decline. There is evidence of anti-N waning from 120 days onwards, with earlier waning for females and younger age categories. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that anti-N has around 80% sensitivity for identifying previous COVID-19 infection, and the duration of detectability is affected by sex and age.
