Transient lymphocytopenia is frequently observed in acute phase of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It remains a concern whether impairment of cellular immunity may be retained after COVID-19. Here, we demonstrate by extensive lymphocyte profiling in 44 adults after mild COVID-19 that cellular immunity is not fundamentally altered in convalescent patients. Except for increased activated CD8+ lymphocytes, total counts of B, T, and NK cells and their subsets did not differ significantly between patients after COVID-19 and healthy controls after a median of 27 days (range 13-45) suggesting no residual cellular immune deficiency after recovery from mild COVID-19.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; cellular immunity; lymphocytopenia.
© 2021 The Authors. Cytometry Part A published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. on behalf of International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.