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J Infect Dis
. 2025 Apr 4:jiaf172.
doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiaf172. Online ahead of print. The effect of pre-existing coronavirus antibodies on SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes in exposed household members
Ilse Westerhof 1 , Reina Sikkema 2 , Ganna Rozhnova 1 3 4 5 , Janko van Beek 2 , Marion Koopmans 2 , Patricia Bruijning-Verhagen 1 6
Affiliations
Background/rationale: We investigated the effect of pre-existing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and seasonal human coronaviruses on infection outcomes in Omicron BA1/2 exposed household members from January to March 2022.
Methods: Data from a prospective household study in the Netherlands were used including 63 households with 195 household members exposed to a SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA1/2 index case. The protocol included repeated nose-throat swab and saliva RT-PCR testing, paired serology, and self-reported daily symptom scoring by household members. Infection outcomes included the occurrence of secondary infections, symptom burden, and CT-value trajectories. We studied the effect of baseline binding antibody levels for SARS-CoVs and seasonal coronaviruses (hCoV) NL63, 229E, HKU1 and OC43 spike protein, on SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes.
Results: 132 of 195 (68%) exposed household members developed a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among exposed household members, higher levels of SARS-CoV-2 at baseline were associated with a reduced risk of secondary infection (adjusted Odds ratio 0.73; 95% Confidence interval 0.55-0.99). No significant differences between antibody levels and symptom burden or CT-value trajectories were observed.
Conclusions: Our study suggests that prior SARS-CoV-2 antibodies provide some protection against Omicron BA.1/BA.2 infection, while effects on symptom burden or CT-value could not be demonstrated. The results highlight the relatively limited, but not negligible role of cross-protective antibodies, especially when facing immune escape variants of SARS-CoV-2.
Keywords: (Seasonal) Coronavirus antibodies; CT-value trajectories; Disease outcomes; Infection risk; SARS-CoV-2.
. 2025 Apr 4:jiaf172.
doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiaf172. Online ahead of print. The effect of pre-existing coronavirus antibodies on SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes in exposed household members
Ilse Westerhof 1 , Reina Sikkema 2 , Ganna Rozhnova 1 3 4 5 , Janko van Beek 2 , Marion Koopmans 2 , Patricia Bruijning-Verhagen 1 6
Affiliations
- PMID: 40184504
- DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiaf172
Background/rationale: We investigated the effect of pre-existing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and seasonal human coronaviruses on infection outcomes in Omicron BA1/2 exposed household members from January to March 2022.
Methods: Data from a prospective household study in the Netherlands were used including 63 households with 195 household members exposed to a SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA1/2 index case. The protocol included repeated nose-throat swab and saliva RT-PCR testing, paired serology, and self-reported daily symptom scoring by household members. Infection outcomes included the occurrence of secondary infections, symptom burden, and CT-value trajectories. We studied the effect of baseline binding antibody levels for SARS-CoVs and seasonal coronaviruses (hCoV) NL63, 229E, HKU1 and OC43 spike protein, on SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes.
Results: 132 of 195 (68%) exposed household members developed a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among exposed household members, higher levels of SARS-CoV-2 at baseline were associated with a reduced risk of secondary infection (adjusted Odds ratio 0.73; 95% Confidence interval 0.55-0.99). No significant differences between antibody levels and symptom burden or CT-value trajectories were observed.
Conclusions: Our study suggests that prior SARS-CoV-2 antibodies provide some protection against Omicron BA.1/BA.2 infection, while effects on symptom burden or CT-value could not be demonstrated. The results highlight the relatively limited, but not negligible role of cross-protective antibodies, especially when facing immune escape variants of SARS-CoV-2.
Keywords: (Seasonal) Coronavirus antibodies; CT-value trajectories; Disease outcomes; Infection risk; SARS-CoV-2.