Publication date: Oct 16, 2024

The kinetics and durability of T-cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 in children are not well characterized. We studied a cohort of children aged 6 months to 20 years with COVID-19 in whom peripheral blood mononuclear cells and sera were archived at approximately 1, 6, and 12 months after symptom onset. We compared antibody responses (n = 85) and T-cell responses (n = 30) to nucleocapsid (N) and spike (S) glycoprotein over time across 4 age strata: 6 months to 5 years and 5-9, 10-14, and 15-20 years. N-specific antibody responses declined over time, becoming undetectable in 26 (81%) of 32 children by approximately 1 year postinfection. Functional breadth of anti-N CD4+ T-cell responses also declined over time and were positively correlated with N-antibody responses (Pearson r = .31, P = .008). CD4+ T-cell responses to S displayed greater functional breadth than N in unvaccinated children and, with neutralization titers, were stable over time and similar across age strata. Functional profiles of CD4+ T-cell responses against S were not significantly modulated by vaccination. Our data reveal durable age-independent T-cell immunity to SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins in children over time following COVID-19 infection as well as S-antibody responses in comparison with declining antibody responses to N.

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