Researchers also found that previously-infected patients with obesity, contrary to expectations, had a higher and more sustained immune response.
New research to be presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2022, Lisbon, April 23-26) shows that, although over time the number of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies falls in both previously infected and vaccinated patients, the performance of antibodies improves only after previous infection (and not vaccination). This difference could explain why previously infected patients appear to be better protected against a new infection than those who have only been vaccinated.
The study, by Dr. Carmit Cohen of the Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel, and colleagues, also found that, contrary to expectations, previously infected patients with obesity had a higher and more sustained immune response than overweight and normal weight range patients.
Immune Responses in Recovered vs. Vaccinated Individuals
While protection against re-infection lasts for a long time in SARS-CoV-2 recovered patients, breakthrough infections are increasingly common six months after vaccination. In this study, the authors analyzed the humoral (antibody-induced) immune response in COVID-19 recovered but unvaccinated individuals for up to a year and compared it with those who had received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine (but no previous infection) over eight months.
The study recruited previously infected-unvaccinated and double-vaccinated-never infected individuals from March 25, 2020, to November 25, 2020, and closed in April 2021, just before the delta variant arrived in Israel. Those previously infected in this study had been infected by the original and alpha variants (and some cases of beta) of SARS-CoV-2, although it is not known which variant for each patient as the laboratory only gained the ability to sequence variants long after the study began.
The researchers followed-up of 130 patients diagnosed with SARS-COV-2 using PCR testing. These patients had not been vaccinated and remained unvaccinated during the study. None of these patients were reinfected across the study period. Data were collected on acute (during infection and immediately after) as well as long term (after 6 weeks) symptoms. They compared anti-spike protein IgG and neutralizing antibodies of these 130 recovered patients to 402 age and body mass index (BMI), matched individuals who were double-vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine but who had never had COVID-19. These double-vaccinated patients also remained uninfected across the study period; however, evidence had begun to emerge in Israel at this time (the second quarter of 2021) that double-vaccinated, never infected healthcare workers were experiencing ‘breakthrough’ infections at around six months after their second dose, whereas previously infected individuals that had not been vaccinated were not being reinfected. This study aimed to explore why.
Antibody Avidity and Long COVID Symptoms
The avidity index (simply expressed as the quality of antibody performance) was compared at one and six months for sub-cohorts composed of 16 people who had recovered from COVID-19 and 22 never-infected individuals who had been double vaccinated. For recovered patients, questionnaires concerning symptoms including long COVID were also collected.
The researchers found that the number of antibodies a month after vaccination was higher than those in the COVID-19 recovered patients. However, these numbers also declined more steeply in the vaccinated group. The avidity (antibody performance quality) index was higher in vaccinated individuals than in recovered patients initially. However, up to six months avidity did not significantly change in vaccinated individuals, whereas it gradually increased in recovered patients and potentially protected them from reinfection.
Interestingly, and against expectations, the level (titers) of antibodies in recovered patients with a body mass index of 30 or higher (in the obese range) was higher at all time points when compared with those with a BMI under 30 (normal weight to overweight range), suggesting people with obesity who had been previously infected were better protected against future infection than those who were overweight or normal weight and had been previously infected.
Of all recovered patients, 42 (36%) experienced long COVID symptoms including mental health (5%), neurological (9%), cardiovascular (5%), and respiratory (31%) manifestations.
Future Protection and Vaccine Efficacy
The authors conclude: “While the number of antibodies decrease with time in both COVID-19 recovered (but never vaccinated) patients and vaccinated (but never infected) individuals, the quality of antibodies increases following infection but not after vaccination. People with obesity have a significantly higher and sustained antibody-induced immune response following infection. These results provide specific characteristics of the immune response that may explain the differential protection against COVID-19 in previously infected compared with only-vaccinated individuals.”
Now that most people in Israel are vaccinated, it has become much more difficult to do any new study of never-vaccinated individuals.
This team of researchers is now following a cohort of people recovered from the delta variant (specifically focused on families) and also a separate cohort recovered from the omicron variant. In these newer studies, they are examining both the humoral and innate immune responses (different parts of the immune system).
Dr. Cohen adds: “With the omicron variant vaccinated individuals are better protected from severe disease, yet the fourth vaccine dose, now given to many people over 60 years old and those who are immunocompromised, does not appear to be protective against infection with the omicron variant. I think that the most interesting people to follow up now are those who have recovered from the earlier variants and have then been re-infected by, and recovered from, infection with the omicron variant. Hypothetically, these individuals should have very high antibody performance against most variants.”
Meeting: The European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2022)
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4 Comments
Very Interesting Research.
Some Thoughtsfor consideration
1. Sample Size could be larger.
2. Sure, the Spike Protiens on the Virus C19 have been implicated front and centre in Fusuon with the Cells in various organs in the Body. For Omicron the number of mutations are reported at 32. However Other parts of the polymeric Virus C-19 has also undergone other mutations…..from its genetic sequence first published on January 30th, from Chinese Academy of Science. Maybe, the RNA Vaccine effectiveness for providing long-term effectiveness from infection and ability to produce Antibodies in the Human Ecosystem is impaired, as it is not a Full Genome Vaccine, whereas the Covid-19 infected antibodies are sturdier and have longer-term memory as compared to artificial Vaccines made in the lab.
3. I suspect that the Covaxin Vaccine from Bharat Biotech, whichis basically a “Dead Virus” may provide greater immunity for a longer perios as it maay be better at providing full genome like protection against the Virus and its numerous variants of concern.
4. A Comparision of the effectiveness of the Various Vaccines and its ability to Neutralise the Covid -19 Virus vide Antibodies produced , in the vaccinated AND/OR unvaccinated poulation using RNA, DNA, and Old Technology Vaccine like Covaxin may be a interesting study
5. Probably worth carrying out such a study as I supect Herd Immunity is unlikely in this C19 Viral Infection case, as immunity wanes in both cases and ability to breach defeses and infect the vaccinated seems to be quite widespread.
Views expressed are personal and not binding on anyone.
Some more Thoughts about the effectiveness of Antibodies in Obese persons being better equipped on the Antibodies front also makes sense.
There were a series of Immune imapired persons identified and these persons were vaccinated on a priority basis. I think the obese were also identified in this category of Immunity Commpromised Persons. Also if such a person (Vaccinated orUnvaccinated) got infected, the adipose tissue in such persons which is basically Fat, may have accomodated the Antibodies storage in the Fat Tissues, just in case the next variant of concern came along and infected the obese person of interest. I suspect that an examination of the Adipose Tissues in the obese persons Infected by Covid -19 will shown this mechanism of storage of Antibodies for use aganst future Variants as well. This needs to be scientifically proved by conducting appropriate studies.
Fits in with my theory and hypothesis that all ife forms want to exist and thrive through their entire normal lifespans.
Views expressed are personal and not binding on anyone.
The interesting thing about a vaccine is, you don’t have to get sick, and possibly die (2%), or have other long term problems (33%), in order to obtain the antibodies that can prevent you dying, or having other problems.
I know. That should be stunningly obvious. But apparently is not…
You seem to be overlooking the point of the article. Protection from being previously infected is as good, or even better than protection from the vaccine–A point generally overlooked by the powers that be in the United States. This article does not suggest you shouldn’t get vaccinated, nor does any other reply as of yet. So why the political hyperbole?
Maybe, just maybe it’s time to start counting previously infected protection as being vaccinated (as they do in Europe) and not force those people to get the lessor protection that is the vaccine.
And where did you get your numbers? You numbers are so grossly out of touch that I probably shouldn’t even have responded to you.