Intrafamilial Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 Associated with Cellular Immune Response without Seroconversion, France

We investigated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific antibodies and T-cell responses against SARS-CoV-2 and human coronavirus (HCoV) 229E and OC43 in 11 SARS-CoV-2 serodiscordant couples in Strasbourg, France, in which 1 partner had evidence of mild coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and in 10 unexposed healthy controls. Patients with confirmed COVID-19 were considered index patients and their partners close contacts. All index patients displayed positive SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody and T-cell responses that lasted up to 102 days after symptom onset. All contacts remained seronegative for SARS-CoV-2; however, 6 reported COVID-19 symptoms within a median of 7 days after their partners, and 4 of those showed a positive SARS-CoV-2-specific T-cell response against 3 or 4 SARS-CoV-2 antigens that lasted up to 93 days after symptom onset. The 11 couples and controls displayed positive T-cell responses against HCoV-229E or HCoV-OC43. These data suggest that exposure to SARS-CoV-2 can induce virus-specific T-cell responses without seroconversion.

Automated summary

The study found that all confirmed COVID-19 patients had SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies and T-cell responses lasting up to 102 days after symptom onset, while their contacts remained seronegative but 6 of them reported COVID-19 symptoms within a median of 7 days and 4 of them had positive SARS-CoV-2 specific T-cell responses lasting up to 93 days after infection.