Persistent COVID-19 Symptoms Minimally Impact the Development of SARS-CoV-2-Specific T Cell Immunity.
Hengsheng Fang, Adam D Wegman, Kianna Ripich, Heather Friberg, Jeffrey R Currier, Stephen J Thomas, Timothy P Endy, Adam T Waickman
Author Information
Hengsheng Fang: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
Adam D Wegman: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
Kianna Ripich: Institute for Global Health and Translational Sciences, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
Heather Friberg: Viral Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
Jeffrey R Currier: Viral Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
Stephen J Thomas: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
Timothy P Endy: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
Adam T Waickman: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
SARS-CoV-2 represents an unprecedented public health challenge. While the majority of SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 resolve their infection with few complications, some individuals experience prolonged symptoms lasting for weeks after initial diagnosis. Persistent viral infections are commonly accompanied by immunologic dysregulation, but it is unclear if persistent COVID-19 impacts the development of virus-specific cellular immunity. To this end, we analyzed SARS-CoV-2-specific cellular immunity in convalescent COVID-19 patients who experienced eight days or fewer of COVID-19 symptoms or symptoms persisting for 18 days or more. We observed that persistent COVID-19 symptoms were not associated with the development of an overtly dysregulated cellular immune response. Furthermore, we observed that reactivity against the N protein from SARS-CoV-2 correlates with the amount of reactivity against the seasonal human coronaviruses 229E and NL63. These results provide insight into the processes that regulate the development of cellular immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and related human coronaviruses.
