MONITORING THE PRODUCTION OF ANTIBODIES AGAINST SARS-COV-2: INFECTED AND VACCINATED INDIVIDUALS

indivíduos infectados e vacinados

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: SARS-COV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) is the virus that causes Covid-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019). The reach and negative impact of SARS-CoV-2 around the world has placed the Covid-19 pandemic among the most notorious ever recorded. As it is a global emergency, as well as the growing number of cases and deaths caused and the characteristics of SARS-CoV-2, such as the high transmissibility between individuals and the variability of clinical manifestations associated with the infection, make laboratory diagnosis a tool important. without combating the pandemic. Epidemiological tracking for SARS-CoV-2 seeks to correctly identify patients exposed to the virus to better understand the prevalence, epidemiology and dynamics of the disease. In this sense, a long-term follow-up study is important to understand, monitor and investigate IgG antibodies. The main objective of this research was to evaluate the level of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in groups of infected patients, previously tested by qRT-PCR with detectable results for SARS-CoV-2, and subsequently vaccinated in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Monitor the production of antibodies specific to SARS-CoV-2 in groups of infected and subsequently vaccinated patients in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. METHODOLOGY: Serum samples were collected from 245 individuals, submitted to the IgG ELISA test over 17 months at the Virology Laboratory of the Federal University of Bahia - UFBA. RESULTS: This study observed that vaccination induced high production of antibodies specific to SARS-CoV-2, which was further intensified by the booster dose. However, in individuals recovered from SARS-CoV-2, there was no significant increase in antibody levels. Notably, IgG levels were similar to individuals who were not infected with SARS-CoV-2 and individuals who recovered from SARS-CoV-2 after the 3rd dose of the vaccine. CONCLUSION: The first dose of vaccine induced seroconversion in most patients, with IgG results collected after a longer interval between best infections and vaccination.