Levels of SARS-CoV-2 Lineage P.1 Neutralization by Antibodies Elicited after Natural Infection and Vaccination

Background: A new SARS-CoV-2 lineage, named P.1 (20J/501Y.V3), has recently been detected in Brazil. Mutations accrued by the P.1 lineage include amino acid changes in the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein that also are reported in variants of concern in the United Kingdom (B.1.1.7) and South Africa (B.1.325). Methods: We isolated two P.1-containing specimens from nasopharyngeal and bronchoalveolar lavage samples of patients of Manaus, Brazil. We measured neutralization of the P.1 virus after incubation with the plasma of 19 COVID-19 convalescent blood donors and recipients of the chemically-inactivated CoronaVac vaccine and compared these results to neutralization of a SARS-CoV-2 B-lineage previously circulating in Brazil. Findings: The immune plasma of COVID-19 convalescent blood donors had 6-fold less neutralizing capacity against the P.1 than against the B-lineage. Moreover, five months after booster immunization with CoronaVac, plasma from vaccinated individuals failed to efficiently neutralize P.1 lineage isolates. Interpretation: These data indicate that the P.1 lineage may escape from neutralizing antibodies generated in response to polyclonal stimulation against previously circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2. Funding: Sao Paulo Research Foundation, MCTI/FINEP, Medical Research Council, National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, National Institutes of Health. Conflict of Interest: M.S.D. is a consultant for Inbios, Vir Biotechnology, NGMBiopharmaceuticals, and Carnival Corporation, and on the Scientific Advisory Boards of Moderna and Immunome. The Diamond laboratory has received funding support in sponsored research agreements from Moderna, Vir Biotechnology, and Emergent BioSolutions. Ethical Approval: All procedures followed the ethical standards of the responsible committee on humanexperimentation and approved by the ethics committees from the University of Campinas, Brazil (Approval number CONEP 4.021.484 for plasma collection of blood donors, CAEE32078620.4.0000.5404 and 30227920.9.0000.5404 for the sampling of vaccinated and viral genome sequencing, respectively). All patient data were anonymized before study inclusion.Informed consent was obtained from all subjects for being included in the study.