Shedding of Culturable Virus, Seroconversion, and 6-Month Follow-up Antibody Responses in the First 14 Confirmed Cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in the United States
Marie E. Killerby, Mohammed Ata Ur Rasheed, Azaibi Tamin, Jennifer L. Harcourt, Glen R. Abedi, Xiaoyan Lu, Stephanie Kujawski, Melisa M. Shah, Hannah L. Kirking, Jeremy A.W. Gold, Phillip P. Salvatore, Melissa M. Coughlin, Brett Whitaker, Jacqueline E. Tate, John T. Watson, Stephen Lindstrom, Aron J. Hall, Alicia M. Fry, Susan I. Gerber, Claire M. Midgley, Natalie J. Thornburg
Abstract
We aimed to characterize presence of culturable virus in clinical specimens during acute illness, and antibody kinetics up to 6 months after symptom onset, among 14 early patients with coronavirus disease 2019 in the United States. We isolated viable severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 from real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction-positive respiratory specimens collected during days 0-8 after onset, but not after. All 13 patients with 2 or more serum specimens developed anti-spike antibodies; 12 developed detectable neutralizing antibodies. We did not isolate virus after detection of neutralizing antibodies. Eight participants provided serum at 6 months after onset; all retained detectable anti-spike immunoglobulin G, and half had detectable neutralizing antibodies. Two participants reported not feeling fully recovered at 6 months.