Daily Viral Kinetics and Innate and Adaptive Immune Response Assessment in COVID-19: a Case Series

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Pauline Vetter, Geneva University Hospitals; Christiane S. Eberhardt, Emory University; Benjamin Meyer, Geneva University Hospitals; Paola Andrea Martinez Murillo, Geneva University Hospitals; Giulia Torriani, Geneva University Hospitals; Fiona Pigny, Geneva University Hospitals; Sylvain Lemeille, Geneva University Hospitals; Samuel Cordey, Geneva University Hospitals; Florian Laubscher, Geneva University Hospitals; Diem-Lan Vu, Geneva University Hospitals; Adrien Calame, Geneva University Hospitals; Manuel Schibler, Geneva University Hospitals; Frederique Jacquerioz, Geneva University Hospitals; Geraldine Blanchard-Rohner, Geneva University Hospitals; Claire-Anne Siegrist, Geneva University Hospitals; Laurent Kaiser, Geneva University Hospitals; Arnaud M. Didierlaurent, Emory University; Isabella Eckerle, Geneva University Hospitals
• Language: English
• Date: 2020-11-11
• Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2020 Vetter et al.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): https://doi.org/10.1128%2FmSphere.00827-20
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: mSphere
• Volume: 5
• Issue: 6
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported by Geneva University, Faculty of Medicine. The funder had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the report. The corresponding author had full access to all the data in the study and had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication.
• Keywords: viral load; Geneva; immune response kinetics; COVID-19; quarantine; viral RNA; virus shedding
• Research Categories: Biology, Genetics; Health Sciences, Immunology; Biology, Virology

Abstract

Viral shedding patterns and their correlations with immune responses are still poorly characterized in mild coronavirus (CoV) disease 2019 (COVID-19). We monitored shedding of viral RNA and infectious virus and characterized the immune response kinetics of the first five patients quarantined in Geneva, Switzerland. High viral loads and infectious virus shedding were observed from the respiratory tract despite mild symptoms, with isolation of infectious virus and prolonged positivity by reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) until days 7 and 19 after symptom onset, respectively. Robust innate responses characterized by increases in activated CD14+ CD16+ monocytes and cytokine responses were observed as early as 2 days after symptom onset. Cellular and humoral severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2-specific adaptive responses were detectable in all patients. Infectious virus shedding was limited to the first week after symptom onset. A strong innate response, characterized by mobilization of activated monocytes during the first days of infection and SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies, was detectable even in patients with mild disease.