Seroepidemiology of the Seasonal Human Coronaviruses NL63, 229E, OC43 and HKU1 in France
Alix De Thoisy, Tom Woudenberg, Stéphane Pelleau, Françoise Donnadieu, Laura García, Laurie Pinaud, Laura Tondeur, Annalisa Meola, Laurence Arowas, Nathalie Clément, Marija Backović, Marie‐Noëlle Ungeheuer, Arnaud Fontanet, Michael White, COVID-Oise and SeroPed study teams, Tom Woudenberg, Stéphane Pelleau, Laurie Pinaud, Laura Tondeur, Marie‐Noëlle Ungeheuer, Arnaud Fontanet, Michael White, Sandrine Fernandes Pellerin, Raphaël Guihéneuf, Catherine Delamare, Karl Stefic and Julien Marlet, Étienne Brochot, Sandrine Castelain, Olivier Augereau, Jean Sibilia, François Dubos, Christèle Gras‐Le Guen, Marianne Coste‐Burel, Berthe‐Marie Imbert‐Marcille, Cyril Schweitzer, A. Gatin, A. Joulié, H. Haas, Aymeric Cantais, Fréderique Bertholon, Marie-France Chinazzo-Vigouroux, Cécile Duru, Aymar Davy Koffi
Abstract
Abstract Background The seasonal human coronaviruses (HCoV) NL63, 229E, OC43, and HKU1 are globally endemic, yet the majority of HCoV infections remain undiagnosed. Methods In a cross-sectional study, 2389 serum samples were collected from children and adults in France in 2020. In a longitudinal cohort study, 2520 samples were collected from 898 French individuals followed up between 2020 and 2021. Antibodies to HCoVs were measured using a bead-based multiplex assay. Results The rate of waning of anti-HCoV spike immunoglobulin G antibodies was estimated as 0.22–0.47 year−1 for children, and 0.13–0.27 year−1 for adults. Seroreversion was estimated as 0.31–1.37 year−1 in children and 0.19–0.72 year−1 in adults. The estimated seroconversion rate in children was consistent with 20%–39% of children being infected every year with each HCoV. Conclusions The high force of infection in children indicates that HCoVs may be responsible for a substantial proportion of fever episodes experienced by children.