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Wellcome Open Res
. 2021 Jun 3;6:138.
doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16701.1. eCollection 2021.
Estimating the duration of seropositivity of human seasonal coronaviruses using seroprevalence studies
Eleanor M Rees 1 2 , Naomi R Waterlow 1 , Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases COVID-19 Working Group; Rachel Lowe 1 2 , Adam J Kucharski 1
Affiliations
- PMID: 34708157
- PMCID: PMC8517721
- DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16701.1
Abstract
Background: The duration of immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is still uncertain, but it is of key clinical and epidemiological importance. Seasonal human coronaviruses (HCoV) have been circulating for longer and, therefore, may offer insights into the long-term dynamics of reinfection for such viruses. Methods: Combining historical seroprevalence data from five studies covering the four circulating HCoVs with an age-structured reverse catalytic model, we estimated the likely duration of seropositivity following seroconversion. Results: We estimated that antibody persistence lasted between 0.9 (95% Credible interval: 0.6 - 1.6) and 3.8 (95% CrI: 2.0 - 7.4) years. Furthermore, we found the force of infection in older children and adults (those over 8.5 [95% CrI: 7.5 - 9.9] years) to be higher compared with young children in the majority of studies. Conclusions: These estimates of endemic HCoV dynamics could provide an indication of the future long-term infection and reinfection patterns of SARS-CoV-2.
Keywords: Catalytic model; Seasonal coronavirus; Seroprevalence; waning immunity.