Characterization of Specific Humoral Immunity in Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Abstract

The outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in December 2019 caused a huge blow to both global public health and global economy. At the early stage of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, asymptomatic individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection were ignored, without appropriate identification and isolation. However, asymptomatic individuals proved to comprise a high proportion of all SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals, which greatly contributed to the rapid and wide spread of this disease. In this review, we summarize the latest advances in epidemiological characteristics, diagnostic assessment methods, factors related to the establishment of SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic infection, as well as humoral immune features after SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination in asymptomatic individuals, which would contribute to effective control of ongoing COVID-19 epidemic. © 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology.