Live-virus neutralization of the omicron variant in children and adults 14 months after SARS-CoV-2 wild-type infection.

Abstract

Data on cross-neutralization of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant more than 1 year after SARS-CoV-2 infection are urgently needed, especially in children, to predict the likelihood of reinfection and to guide vaccination strategies. In a prospective observational cohort study, we evaluated live-virus neutralization of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron (BA.1) variant in children compared with adults 14 months after mild or asymptomatic wild-type SARS-CoV-2 infection. We also evaluated immunity to reinfection conferred by previous infection plus COVID-19 mRNA vaccination. We studied 36 adults and 34 children 14 months after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. While 94% of unvaccinated adults (16/17) and children (32/34) neutralized the delta (B.1.617.2) variant, only 1/17 (5.9%) unvaccinated adults, 0/16 (0%) adolescents and 5/18 (27.8%) children <12 years of age had neutralizing activity against omicron (BA.1). In convalescent adults, one or two doses of mRNA vaccine increased delta and omicron neutralization 32-fold, similar to a third mRNA vaccination in uninfected adults. Neutralization of omicron was 8-fold lower than that of delta in both groups. In conclusion, our data indicate that humoral immunity induced by previous SARS-CoV-2 wild-type infection more than 1 year ago is insufficient to neutralize the current immune escape omicron variant.

• Authors: Maximilian Stich, Louise Benning, Claudius Speer, Sven F Garbade, Marie Bartenschlager, Heeyoung Kim, Kathrin Jeltsch, Julia Tabatabai, Moritz Niesert, Aleš Janda, Hanna Renk, Roland Elling, Georg Friedrich Hoffmann, Hans-Georg Kräusslich, Barbara Müller, Ralf Bartenschlager, Burkhard Tönshoff
• Journal: Journal of medical virology (J Med Virol) Vol. 95 Issue 3 Pg. e28582 (03 2023) ISSN: 1096-9071 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 36794653 (Publication Type: Observational Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Medical Virology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Chemical References

• RNA, Messenger
• Antibodies, Neutralizing
• Antibodies, Viral

Topics

• Adolescent
• Humans
• Adult
• Child
• COVID-19 (prevention & control)
• SARS-CoV-2 (genetics)
• Prospective Studies
• Reinfection
• RNA, Messenger
• Antibodies, Neutralizing
• Antibodies, Viral