System for classifying antibody concentration against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 S1 spike antigen with automatic quick response generation for integration with health passports

Abstract

Aim: After the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic and the realization of mass vaccination against the virus, the availability of a reliable, rapid, and easy-to-use system for registering the individual anti-S1 antibody titer could facilitate the personalized assessment of the need for booster vaccine doses and the reduction of social distancing and other measures. Methods: The biosensor system is based on immobilized engineered SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells, bearing the S1 protein, and it can detect immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 S1 spike antigen. A disposable electrode strip bearing the engineered mammalian cells is connected to a customized read-out potentiometric device with real-time data transmission to a wireless fidelity (WiFi)-connected smartphone. Blood samples from past-infected individuals and individuals vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 were used for validation. Results: In the present study, a smartphone application (app), capable of analyzing data regarding the levels of anti-S1 antibodies in blood is introduced. The app works in conjunction with a portable, ultra-rapid, and sensitive biosensor transmitting real-time measurements to the smartphone. Both historical and current individual data can be encoded by using the app, resulting in a widely accepted quick response (QR) code, which can then be constantly updated to match a person’s status. Conclusions: This novel system could be utilized for the eventual development of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) electronic passport, which could be further employed to improve the population-wide, cross-country surveillance of vaccination efficiency, as well as facilitate the implementation of cross-border digital health services in a user-friendly and secure way.