Cell
Volume 183, Issue 1, 1 October 2020, Pages 158-168.e14
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Article
Robust T Cell Immunity in Convalescent Individuals with Asymptomatic or Mild COVID-19

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.08.017Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Acute-phase SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells display an activated cytotoxic phenotype

  • Convalescent-phase SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells generate broad responses

  • Polyfunctional SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells also occur in seronegative individuals

Summary

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.

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