COVID-19 Transmission and Morbidity in Malawi

Description

The investigators hypothesize that malaria and intestinal parasitic diseases may result in enhanced or tolerogenic innate immune responses that decrease the risk of symptomatic COVID-19. On the other hand, these conditions and deficiency of micronutrients may decrease the acquisition and longevity of antibodies induced by natural infection and SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, increasing the risk of re-infection and breakthrough infections to vaccination.

To test these hypotheses, up to 200 symptomatic individuals (index cases)will be enrolled, their household contacts (anticipated ~700), and up to 600 vaccinees. The specific innate immune phenotypes that differentiate uninfected Malawians from Western controls (based on samples from blood banks) and whether those responses are protecting Malawians from infection and/or progression of disease will be assessed. Infected participants and vaccinees will be followed for up to 1.5 years to assess acquisition and longevity of Ab responses and memory B cells.