Correlation between antibody levels and long-term symptoms in survivors of COVID-19: health outcomes and societal implications

Abstract

Aims: It was aimed to evaluate the relationship between antibody levels, demographic characteristics, and ongoing symptoms of people who have positive COVID-19 real-time PCR (RT-PCR) tests and donated plasma after the disease. Methods: Patients who voluntarily donated plasma were called by phone, and 105 patients who wanted to participate in the survey were included in the study. Ongoing symptoms, antibody test results, demographic characteristics, and other data of the participants were recorded. Results: IgM was high in patients whose first complaint was fever and muscle pain at the onset of the disease and who used favipiravir for treatment (p=0.030, p=0.035, p=0.007). In those who survived the disease, it was determined that the IgM level decreased after the peak in the first month and the IgG level in the third month; the results were statistically significant. The IgG level decreased with the elapsed time and smoking, and the IgG level was found to be high in those who used favipiravir, hydroxychloroquine, or both during the disease and those in the AB blood type. Conclusion: Some symptoms may persist even after the COVID-19 infection has been overcome. This study will contribute to a better understanding of this disease and the process after it.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• IgM and IgG antibodies
• post-COVID symptoms
• cigarette
• blood type

References

1. Yang X, Yu Y, Xu J, et al. Clinical course and outcomes of critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in Wuhan, China: a single-centered, retrospective, observational study. Lancet Respir Med. 2020;8(5):475-481.
2. Lovato A, de Filippis C, Marioni G. Upper airway symptoms in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Am J Otolaryngol. 2020;41(3):102474.
3. Meng X, Deng Y, Dai Z, Meng Z. COVID-19 and anosmia: a review based on up-to-date knowledge. Am J Otolaryngol. 2020;41(5):102581.
4. Fotuhi M, Mian A, Meysami S, Raji CA. Neurobiology of COVID-19. J Alzheimer's Dis. 2020; 76(1):3-19.
5. Dziedzic A, Wojtyczka R. The impact of coronavirus infectious disease 19 (COVID‐19) on oral health. Oral Dis. 2021;27(Suppl 3):703-706.
6. Freni F, Meduri A, Gazia F, et al. Symptomatology in head and neck district in coronavirus disease (COVID-19): a possible neuroinvasive action of SARS-CoV-2. Am J Otolaryngol. 2020;41(5):102612.
7. Paranjpe I, Russak AJ, De Freitas JK, et al. Clinical characteristics of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in New York City. MedRxiv. 2020-04.
8. Zhu J, Zhong Z, Ji P, et al. Clinicopathological characteristics of 8697 patients with COVID-19 in China: a meta-analysis. Fam Med Commun Health. 2020;8(2):e000406.

9. Stowell S, Guarner J. Role of serology in the COVID‐19 pandemic. Clin Infect. 2020;71(8):1935-1936 doi. org/10.1093/cid/ciaa510
10. Goërtz YM, Van Herck M, Delbressine JM, et al. Persistent symptoms 3 months after a SARS-CoV-2 infection: the post-COVID-19 syndrome? ERJ Open Res. 2020;6(4).00542.
11. Kissler SM, Tedijanto C, Goldstein E, Grad YH, Lipsitch M. Projecting the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 through the postpandemic period. Science. 2020;368(6493):860-868.
12. Yang Z, Wang S, Li Q, et al. Determining SARS sub-clinical infection: a longitudinal seroepidemiological study in recovered SARS patients and controls after an outbreak in a general hospital. Scandinav J Infect Dis. 2009;41(6-7):507-510.
13. Carfì A, Bernabei R, Landi F. Persistent symptoms in patients after acute COVID-19. JAMA. 2020;324(6):603-605.
14. Garrigues E, Janvier P, Kherabi Y, et al. Post-discharge persistent symptoms and health-related quality of life after hospitalization for COVID-19. J Infect. 2020;81(6):e4-e6.
15. Li J, Wang X, Chen J, Cai Y, Deng A, Yang M. Association between ABO blood groups and risk of SARS‐CoV‐2 pneumonia. Brit J Haematol. 2020;190(1):24.
16. Göker H, Karakulak EA, Demiroğlu H, et al. The effects of blood group types on the risk of COVID-19 infection and its clinical outcome. Turk J Med Sci. 2020;50(4):679-683.
17. Jimenez-Ruiz CA, Lopez-Padilla D, Alonso-Arroyo A, Aleixandre-Benavent R, Solano-Reina S, de Granda-Orive JI. COVID-19 and smoking: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence. Archivos de Bronconeumol. 2020;57:21-34.
18. Jean SS, Lee PI, Hsueh PR. Treatment options for COVID-19: The reality and challenges. J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2020;53(3):436-443.
19. Udwadia ZF, Singh P, Barkate H, et al. Efficacy and safety of favipiravir, an oral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitor, in mild-to-moderate COVID-19: A randomized, comparative, open-label, multicenter, phase 3 clinical trial. Int J Infect Dis. 2021; 103: 62-71.
20. Liu J, Cao R, Xu M, et al. Hydroxychloroquine, a less toxic derivative of chloroquine, is effective in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro. Cell Discovery. 2020;6(1):16.