The generation of B-cell memory contributes to long-term immunity. Has the extent and quality of SARS-CoV-2 memory responses been evaluated?
B cell receptor-sequencing has been conducted in the blood of COVID-19 patients. Naive B cells exhibited little clonal expansion, whereas CD27+CD38+ memory B cells showed the highest expansion levels among diverse B cell subsets. COVID-19 patients had significantly expanded specific B-cell receptor clones compared to those in the healthy controls. These findings suggest that B cells experience unique clonal variable, diversity, and joining gene segment rearrangements upon SARS-CoV-2 infection.42 The lifespan and functionality of these B cells remain to be elucidated.