We show that even 70 days after acute SARS‐CoV‐2 infection protracted reduction of neutrophil counts is observed in COVID‐19 convalescent patients (n = 109) when compared to healthy control subjects (n = 98), which is paralleled by activation of T cells as demonstrated by higher HLA‐DR (CD8+ T cells) and CD38 (CD4+ and CD8+) expression. The gene discussed is CD8A; the disease is COVID-19.