A new study by Winfried Pickl and colleagues describes the immunological imprint of COVID-19 on human peripheral blood leukocyte populations

In their study they authors used multiparametric flow cytometry to analyze whole peripheral blood samples and determined SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody levels against the S-protein, its RBD-subunit, and viral nucleocapsid in a cohort of COVID-19 convalescent patients who had mild disease ~10 weeks after infection (n = 109) and healthy control subjects (n = 98). Furthermore, they correlated immunological changes with clinical and demographic parameters. They were able to demonstrate that acute SARS-CoV-2 infection leaves protracted beneficial (ie, activation of T cells) and potentially harmful (ie, reduction of neutrophils) imprints in the cellular immune system in addition to induction of specific antibody responses.

Kratzer B, Trapin D, Ettel P, Körmöczi U, Rottal A, Tuppy F, Feichter M, Gattinger P, Borochova K, Dorofeeva Y, Tulaeva I, Weber M, Grabmeier-Pfistershammer K, Tauber PA, Gerdov M, Mühl B, Perkmann T, Fae I, Wenda S, Führer H, Henning R, Valenta R, Pickl WF. (2020). Immunological imprint of COVID-19 on human peripheral blood leukocyte population. Allergy, doi: 10.1111/all.14647