Robust T Cell Immunity in Convalescent Individuals with Asymptomatic or Mild COVID-19

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2-specific memory T cells will likely prove critical for long-term immune protection against COVID-19. Here, we systematically mapped the functional and phenotypic landscape of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses in unexposed individuals, exposed family members, and individuals with acute or convalescent COVID-19. Acute-phase SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells displayed a highly activated cytotoxic phenotype that correlated with various clinical markers of disease severity, whereas convalescent-phase SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells were polyfunctional and displayed a stem-like memory phenotype. Importantly, SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells were detectable in antibody-seronegative exposed family members and convalescent individuals with a history of asymptomatic and mild COVID-19. Our collective dataset shows that SARS-CoV-2 elicits broadly directed and functionally replete memory T cell responses, suggesting that natural exposure or infection may prevent recurrent episodes of severe COVID-19.

References 55

1. 1.
   Antibody Response and Disease Severity in Healthcare Worker MERS Survivors · 2016

   No notice
2. 2.

   This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

   Not in our library10.1056/nejmoa2007764

3. 3.

   This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

   Not in our library10.1182/blood-2005-12-4818

4. 4.

   This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

   Not in our library10.4049/jimmunol.1202234

5. 5.

   This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

   Not in our library10.1038/s41586-020-2598-9

6. 6.

   This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

   Not in our library10.4049/jimmunol.1302253

7. 7.

   This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

   Not in our library10.1126/sciimmunol.aar4526

8. 8.

   This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

   Not in our library10.1017/s0950268800048019

9. 9.
   SARS-CoV-2 infection protects against rechallenge in rhesus macaques · 2020

   No notice
10. 10.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1128/jvi.01505-14

11. 11.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1128/jvi.70.4.2627-2631.1996

12. 12.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1126/scitranslmed.aaa3700

13. 13.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1016/j.cell.2020.05.015

14. 14.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1056/nejmoa2002032

15. 15.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1136/bmj.m2376

16. 16.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1016/j.jcv.2020.104361

17. 17.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1038/s41591-020-0869-5

18. 18.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1038/s41577-020-0358-6

19. 19.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1016/s0140-6736(20)30183-5

20. 20.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1056/nejmc2025179

21. 21.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1038/s41591-020-0995-0

22. 22.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1001/jama.2020.7869

23. 23.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1038/s41586-020-2550-z

24. 24.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.4049/jimmunol.181.8.5490

25. 25.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1016/j.ebiom.2020.102763

26. 26.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1038/s41591-020-0965-6

27. 27.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1038/d41586-020-01115-z

28. 28.
    Selective and cross-reactive SARS-CoV-2 T cell epitopes in unexposed humans · 2020

    No notice
29. 29.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1016/j.immuni.2008.02.020

30. 30.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1016/j.immuni.2020.04.023

31. 31.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1016/j.jim.2007.07.012

32. 32.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1016/j.cca.2020.05.050

33. 33.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1084/jem.20062363

34. 34.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1084/jem.20051357

35. 35.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1093/nar/gkaa379

36. 36.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1101/2020.05.13.092619

37. 37.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1101/2020.05.12.091298

38. 38.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1093/cid/ciy595

39. 39.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1001/jama.2016.0287

40. 40.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1038/nm.3350

41. 41.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.4049/jimmunol.0903490

42. 42.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1038/s41591-020-0819-2

43. 43.
    A human monoclonal antibody blocking SARS-CoV-2 infection · 2020

    Corrected
44. 44.
    Presymptomatic Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 — Singapore, January 23–March 16, 2020 · 2020

    No notice
45. 45.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1038/s41591-020-0944-y

46. 46.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1038/nm.2612

47. 47.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1038/s41586-020-2196-x

48. 48.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1056/nejmp2015897

49. 49.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1001/jama.2020.2648

50. 50.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1016/j.clim.2006.05.002

51. 51.
    Comparison of Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Asymptomatic vs Symptomatic Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Wuhan, China · 2020

    No notice
52. 52.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1016/j.immuni.2016.05.006

53. 53.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1126/sciimmunol.aan5393

54. 54.

    This reference’s wording can’t be shown under the paper’s licence.

    Not in our library10.1038/s41423-020-0401-3

55. 55.
    Functional exhaustion of antiviral lymphocytes in COVID-19 patients · 2020

    No notice

Cited by papers we hold 59

• Changes in peripheral blood mononuclear cell electrical properties in response to viral exposure and vaccination · 2025
  Not checked
• Persistent memory despite rapid contraction of circulating T Cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination · 2023
  Not checked
• A common allele of HLA is associated with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection · 2023
  No notice
• T cells in health and disease · 2023
  No notice
• Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 total immunoglobulins in a series of convalescent plasma and blood donors. · 2022
  Not checked
• Persistent but dysfunctional mucosal SARS-CoV-2-specific IgA and low lung IL-1β associate with COVID-19 fatal outcome: A cross-sectional analysis · 2022
  Not checked
• A novel vaccine based on SARS-CoV-2 CD4+ and CD8+ T cell conserved epitopes from variants Alpha to Omicron · 2022
  Not checked
• Post-COVID-19 Fatigue and SARS-CoV-2 Specific Humoral and T-Cell Responses in Male and Female Outpatients · 2022
  Not checked
• Longevity of vaccine protection: Immunological mechanism, assessment methods, and improving strategy · 2022
  Not checked
• Cross-reactive memory T cells associate with protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in COVID-19 contacts · 2022
  No notice
• COVID-19 vaccine update: vaccine effectiveness, SARS-CoV-2 variants, boosters, adverse effects, and immune correlates of protection · 2022
  No notice
• Single-cell multi-omics reveals dyssynchrony of the innate and adaptive immune system in progressive COVID-19 · 2022
  No notice
• SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells associate with inflammation and reduced lung function in pulmonary post-acute sequalae of SARS-CoV-2 · 2022
  No notice
• Ancestral SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells cross-recognize the Omicron variant · 2022
  No notice
• Adaptive Immune Responses and Immunity to SARS-CoV-2 · 2022
  No notice
• Long-term perturbation of the peripheral immune system months after SARS-CoV-2 infection · 2022
  No notice
• Persistence of SARS-CoV-2-specific B and T cell responses in convalescent COVID-19 patients 6–8 months after the infection · 2021
  No notice
• Long-term SARS-CoV-2-specific immune and inflammatory responses in individuals recovering from COVID-19 with and without post-acute symptoms · 2021
  No notice
• Long-Term Elevated Inflammatory Protein Levels in Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infected Individuals · 2021
  Not checked
• Cross-reactive serum and memory B-cell responses to spike protein in SARS-CoV-2 and endemic coronavirus infection · 2021
  No notice

and 39 more

Reads

A person counts once a day per paper. We keep no cookie and no address: a reader is a hash that changes every day. Any month under five reads shows no number.