Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39953108›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Population shift in antibody immunity following the emergence of a SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern.

Jinal N Bhiman, Vimbai Sharon Madzorera, Qiniso Mkhize, Cathrine Scheepers, Tandile Hermanus, Frances Ayres, Zanele Makhado, Thandeka Moyo-Gwete, Carol Crowther, Beverley Singh and 10 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Jinal N BhimanSAMRC Antibody Immunity Research Unit, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. jinalb@nicd.ac.za.
Vimbai Sharon Madzorera *SAMRC Antibody Immunity Research Unit, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Qiniso Mkhize *SAMRC Antibody Immunity Research Unit, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Cathrine Scheepers *SAMRC Antibody Immunity Research Unit, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Tandile HermanusSAMRC Antibody Immunity Research Unit, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Frances AyresSAMRC Antibody Immunity Research Unit, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Zanele MakhadoSAMRC Antibody Immunity Research Unit, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Thandeka Moyo-GweteSAMRC Antibody Immunity Research Unit, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Carol CrowtherSAMRC Antibody Immunity Research Unit, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Beverley SinghNational Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Services, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Mirriam FortuinNational Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Services, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Edmore MarindaHuman Sciences Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa.
Sean JoosteHuman Sciences Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa.
Khangelani ZumaHuman Sciences Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa.
Nompumelelo ZunguHuman Sciences Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa.
Lynn MorrisSAMRC Antibody Immunity Research Unit, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Adrian PurenNational Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Services, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Leickness SimbayiHuman Sciences Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa.
Sizulu MoyoHuman Sciences Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa.
Penny L MooreSAMRC Antibody Immunity Research Unit, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. pennym@nicd.ac.za.

Funding

Gates Foundation INV-030570Wellcome 226137/Z/22/ZWellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs) exhibit escape from pre-existing immunity and elicit variant-specific immune responses. In South Africa, the second wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections was driven by the Beta VOC, which coincided with the country-wide National COVID-19 Antibody Survey (NCAS). The NCAS was conducted between November 2020 and February 2021 to understand the burden of SARS-CoV-2 infection through seroprevalence. We evaluated 649 NCAS sera for spike binding and pseudovirus neutralizing antibodies. We classified individuals as ancestral or D614G neutralizers (114/649), Beta neutralizers (96/649), double neutralizers (375/649) or non-neutralizers (62/649). We observed a consistent decrease in preferential neutralization against the D614G variant from 68 to 18% of individuals over the four sampling months. Concurrently, samples with equivalent neutralization of both variants, or with enhanced neutralization of the Beta variant, increased from 32 to 82% of samples. Neutralization data showed that geometric mean titers (GMTs) against D614G dropped 2.4-fold, while GMTs against Beta increased 2-fold during this same period. A shift in population humoral immunity in favor of Beta-directed or cross-neutralizing antibody responses, paralleled the increase in genomic frequency of the Beta variant in South Africa. Understanding similar population immunity shifts could elucidate immunity gaps that drive SARS-CoV-2 evolution.

Indexed as

Antibodies, NeutralizingAntibodies, ViralCOVID-19SARS-CoV-2AdolescentAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSeroepidemiologic StudiesSouth AfricaSpike Glycoprotein, CoronavirusYoung AdultAntibodies, NeutralizingAntibodies, ViralSpike Glycoprotein, Coronavirusspike protein, SARS-CoV-2Antibody immunityBeta variantNeutralizing antibodiesPopulation shiftSARS-CoV-2South Africa

Identifiers

PMID39953108
PMCPMC11828959

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.