ABSTRACT
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induces B and T cell responses, contributing to virus neutralization. In a cohort of 2,911 young adults, we identified 65 individuals who had an asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and characterized their humoral and T cell responses to the Spike (S), Nucleocapsid (N) and Membrane (M) proteins. We found that previous infection induced CD4 T cells that vigorously responded to pools of peptides derived from the S and N proteins. By using statistical and machine learning models, we observed that the T cell response highly correlated with a compound titer of antibodies against the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD), S and N. However, while serum antibodies decayed over time, the cellular phenotype of these individuals remained stable over four months. Our computational analysis demonstrates that in young adults, asymptomatic and paucisymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections can induce robust and long-lasting CD4 T cell responses that exhibit slower decays than antibody titers. These observations imply that next-generation COVID-19 vaccines should be designed to induce stronger cellular responses to sustain the generation of potent neutralizing antibodies.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Humans , COVID-19 Vaccines , SARS-CoV-2 , Antibodies, Neutralizing , Machine LearningABSTRACT
COVID-19 has turned the 2020 spring semester upside down. Three days before the start of the block week of the "Teamwork" module, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) announced the ban on live interaction, which made it impossible to conduct five days of practice in the simulation centre of the University Hospital of Zurich. But how can the teaching of all the learning objectives necessary for medical training be guaranteed during an exceptional situation with constantly changing conditions? In the case of the BSc Human Medicine at ETH Zurich (ETHZ), the answer is: Hybrid teaching. The field report "COVID-19 as a chance for hybrid teaching concepts" outlines how ETHZ switched to hybrid teaching within a very short time and how hospital placements were combined with video conferences. The qualitative surveys conducted at the end of the semester and the weekly quantitative surveys of students from March to June indicate the importance of personal exchange despite the ban on contact and that interactivity is possible even without physical proximity. An example from the autumn semester will also be used to show which aspects have proved to be successful and can therefore be retained.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/epidemiology , Education, Distance/organization & administration , Education, Medical/organization & administration , Teaching/organization & administration , Humans , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2ABSTRACT
Condition:
Covid-19;Virus DiseasePrimary outcome:
seroprevalence as well as the titer of serum antibodies (IgM, IgG and IgA) targeting SARS-CoV-2 antigensCriteria:
Inclusion Criteria:
- ETH employee or ETH student and their family members living in the same household at
the start of the study
- Between 18 and 64 years of age at the start of the study
- Signed informed consent
Exclusion Criteria:
- Age over 64 years at the start of the study
- In quarantine or self-confinement at the start of the study
- Active COVID-19 infection at the start of the study:
- Diagnosed with a laboratory test
- Suspected based on typical symptoms such as fever (>38°C), acute pulmonary
ex-acerbation or sudden loss of gustatory taste
- The following medical condition
- With continuous steroid therapy/ chemotherapy/immunsuppressive therapy
- In treatment for cancer
- With severe autoimmune disease