Introduction: the challenges due to COVID-19 pandemic forced scientific community to focus their efforts to improve diagnosis and management of patients. The recognized gold standard for the diagnosis is the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on orofaringeal and nasal swabs. Recently, the antibody detection surge to attention with the aim of estimating the epidemiological impact of the pandemic. Methods: the Screen Test COVID-19 2019-nCov IgG/IgM (Screen Italia, Perugia, Italy) an immunochromatographic lateral flow test has been used to assess the immunological status of 356 asymptomatic healthcare and administrative workers of our hospital. Results: only 26 (7.3%) of the screened subjects was positive for IgM and/or IgG anti SARS-CoV-2 virus although the beginning of the epidemic in Tuscany can be dated two months before. The RT-PCR performed on these samples revealed that only 5 (19%) of them were positive for viral RNA on orofaringeal swab. Conclusions: antibody detection will be of great value in the near future to assess global pandemic impact on population and to drive health policy for the lock down release.

Serum prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody in a population of health care and administrative workers in a hospital in Tuscany (Italy).

Giuseppe Lippi
2020-01-01

Abstract

Introduction: the challenges due to COVID-19 pandemic forced scientific community to focus their efforts to improve diagnosis and management of patients. The recognized gold standard for the diagnosis is the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on orofaringeal and nasal swabs. Recently, the antibody detection surge to attention with the aim of estimating the epidemiological impact of the pandemic. Methods: the Screen Test COVID-19 2019-nCov IgG/IgM (Screen Italia, Perugia, Italy) an immunochromatographic lateral flow test has been used to assess the immunological status of 356 asymptomatic healthcare and administrative workers of our hospital. Results: only 26 (7.3%) of the screened subjects was positive for IgM and/or IgG anti SARS-CoV-2 virus although the beginning of the epidemic in Tuscany can be dated two months before. The RT-PCR performed on these samples revealed that only 5 (19%) of them were positive for viral RNA on orofaringeal swab. Conclusions: antibody detection will be of great value in the near future to assess global pandemic impact on population and to drive health policy for the lock down release.
2020
SARS-CoV-2, antibody, COVID-19
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11562/1031021
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact