A Longitudinal Exploratory Study of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Dynamics in Young Adults in Bogotá: Lessons from Natural Infection and Post-Vaccination Memory.

Background

Infections caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have generated major public health concerns worldwide. Young adults represent a critical group for viral transmission due to their high proportion of asymptomatic infections.

Objective

To characterize the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies in individuals aged 20-29 years from Bogotá, Colombia, across two longitudinal phases.

Methods

Phase I assessed seroprevalence, seroconversion, spatial clustering, symptoms associated with seropositivity and antibody kinetics following natural infection. Phase II evaluated vaccine-induced antibodies, immune memory, and neutralizing capacity. Analyses included Functional Principal Component Analysis, survival analysis, clustering, and predictive modeling.

Results

In Phase I, a seroprevalence of 15.59% (17/109 participants enrolled) was observed, while seroconversion among those who completed all six sampling points was 30.18% (16/53), with clusters of positive cases in different areas of Bogotá. The symptoms most associated with seropositivity included mucus hypersecretion, fever, and respiratory difficulty. Antibody responses were heterogeneous: naturally infected individuals generally showed high titers during the first 1-2 months, remaining detectable up to 4 months. The reduction in dimensionality suggested dominant humoral patterns, and clustering revealed two immune profiles differing in the risk of seroconversion. Predictive modeling indicated diverse antibody trajectories over 12 months. In Phase II (2024), three long-term immune memory clusters (low, medium, high) were observed; post-vaccination IgG titers were observed, although in most cases they lacked neutralizing activity.

Conclusions

This longitudinal exploratory observational study provides an initial characterization of antibody dynamics in young adults, suggesting their potential epidemiological relevance and offering preliminary insights into post-infection and post-vaccination immunity.