EClinicalMedicine (Nov 2021)
Antibody persistence and neutralising activity in primary school students and staff: Prospective active surveillance, June to December 2020, England
- Georgina Ireland,
- Anna Jeffery-Smith,
- Maria Zambon,
- Katja Hoschler,
- Ross Harris,
- John Poh,
- Frances Baawuah,
- Joanne Beckmann,
- Ifeanyichukwu O Okike,
- Shazaad Ahmad,
- Joanna Garstang,
- Andrew J Brent,
- Bernadette Brent,
- Felicity Aiano,
- Zahin Amin-Chowdhury,
- Louise Letley,
- Samuel E I Jones,
- Meaghan Kall,
- Monika Patel,
- Robin Gopal,
- Ray Borrow,
- Ezra Linley,
- Gayatri Amirthalingam,
- Kevin E Brown,
- Mary E Ramsay,
- Shamez N Ladhani
Affiliations
- Georgina Ireland
- Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, United Kingdom; Corresponding author.
- Anna Jeffery-Smith
- Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, United Kingdom
- Maria Zambon
- Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, United Kingdom
- Katja Hoschler
- Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, United Kingdom
- Ross Harris
- Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, United Kingdom
- John Poh
- Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, United Kingdom
- Frances Baawuah
- Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, United Kingdom
- Joanne Beckmann
- East London NHS Foundation Trust, 9 Allie Street, London E1 8DE, United Kingdom
- Ifeanyichukwu O Okike
- Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, United Kingdom; University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, 201 London Road, Derby DE1 2TZ, United Kingdom
- Shazaad Ahmad
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9WL, United Kingdom
- Joanna Garstang
- Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust, Holt Street, Aston, B7 4BN, United Kingdom
- Andrew J Brent
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Old Road, Oxford OX3 7HE, United Kingdom; Wellington Square, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 2JD, United Kingdom
- Bernadette Brent
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Old Road, Oxford OX3 7HE, United Kingdom
- Felicity Aiano
- Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, United Kingdom
- Zahin Amin-Chowdhury
- Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, United Kingdom
- Louise Letley
- Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, United Kingdom
- Samuel E I Jones
- Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, United Kingdom
- Meaghan Kall
- Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, United Kingdom
- Monika Patel
- Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, United Kingdom
- Robin Gopal
- Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, United Kingdom
- Ray Borrow
- Public Health England, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Ezra Linley
- Public Health England, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Gayatri Amirthalingam
- Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, United Kingdom
- Kevin E Brown
- Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, United Kingdom
- Mary E Ramsay
- Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, United Kingdom
- Shamez N Ladhani
- Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, National Infection Service, Public Health England, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, United Kingdom; Paediatric Infectious Diseases Research Group, St. George's University of London, London SW17 0RE, United Kingdom
- Journal volume & issue
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Vol. 41
p. 101150
Abstract
Background: Prospective, longitudinal SARS-CoV-2 sero-surveillance in schools across England was initiated after the first national lockdown, allowing comparison of child and adult antibody responses over time. Methods: Prospective active serological surveillance in 46 primary schools in England tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies during June, July and December 2020. Samples were tested for nucleocapsid (N) and receptor binding domain (RBD) antibodies, to estimate antibody persistence at least 6 months after infection, and for the correlation of N, RBD and live virus neutralising activity. Findings: In June 2020, 1,344 staff and 835 students were tested. Overall, 11.5% (95%CI: 9.4–13.9) and 11.3% (95%CI: 9.2–13.6; p = 0.88) of students had nucleoprotein and RBD antibodies, compared to 15.6% (95%CI: 13.7–17.6) and 15.3% (95%CI: 13.4–17.3; p = 0.83) of staff. Live virus neutralising activity was detected in 79.8% (n = 71/89) of nucleocapsid and 85.5% (71/83) of RBD antibody positive children. RBD antibodies correlated more strongly with neutralising antibodies (rs=0.7527; p6 months) but further work is required to understand the extent to which this protects against reinfection.
