Immunity to SARS-CoV-2 induced by infection or vaccination

Adaptive immune responses play critical roles in viral clearance and protection against re-infection, and SARS-CoV-2 is no exception. What is exceptional, is the rapid characterization of the immune response to the virus performed by researchers during the first 20 months of the pandemic. This has given us a more detailed understanding about SARS-CoV-2 than we have about many viruses that have been with us for a long time. Furthermore, effective COVID-19 vaccines were developed in record time, and their rollout worldwide is already making a significant difference, although major challenges remain in terms of equal access. The pandemic has engaged scientists and the public alike, and terms such as seroprevalence, neutralizing antibodies, antibody escape and vaccine certificates have become familiar to a broad community. Here, we review key findings concerning B cell and antibody (Ab) responses to SARS-CoV-2, focusing on non-severe cases and anti-spike (S) Ab responses in particular, the latter being central to protective immunity induced by infection or vaccination. The emergence of viral variants that have acquired mutations in S acutely highlights the need for continued characterization of both emerging variants and Ab responses against these during the evolving pathogen-immune system arms race.

Automated summary

Adaptive immune responses are crucial for viral clearance and protection against re-infection, including SARS-CoV-2. The rapid characterization of the immune response to the virus during the first 20 months of the pandemic has provided a detailed understanding. The development and global rollout of effective COVID-19 vaccines have made a significant impact, although challenges remain in terms of equal access.