Study sheds light on COVID-19 in young adults

About 60% of participants in a study of young adults infected with COVID-19 on a U.S. aircraft carrier had reactive antibodies to the virus, 59% of whom also had neutralizing antibodies at the time of specimen collection, according to a report released yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The presence of neutralizing antibodies, which represent antibodies that inhibit SARS-CoV-2, among the majority (59.2%) of those with antibody responses is a promising indicator of at least short-term immunity,” the authors said.

Information about COVID-19 among young adults has been limited. One-fifth of the 382 study participants reported no symptoms, suggesting that symptom-based surveillance might not detect all infections. Participants who reported taking preventive measures, such as using face coverings and observing social distancing, had a lower infection rate than those who did not, reinforcing the importance of preventive measures to lower infection risk in congregate settings, the authors said.