Abstract
Here we described the virological and serological assessment of 23 COVID-19 patients hospitalized and followed up in Milan, Italy, during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Nasopharyngeal (NPS), anal swabs, and blood samples were collected from 23 COVID-19 patients, at hospital admission, and periodically up to discharge, for a median time of 20 days (3-83 days). RNA was isolated and tested for SARS-CoV-2 by qRT-PCR; anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibody titers were evaluated in serum samples by ELISA. SARS-CoV-2 genome was detected in the NPS swabs of the 23 patients, at the admission, and 8/19 (42.1%) were still positive at the discharge. Anal swabs were positive to SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in 20/23 (86.9%) patients; 6/19 (31.6%) were still positive at discharge. The mean time of RNA negative conversion was 17 days (4-36 days) and 33 days (4-77 days), for NPS and anal swabs, respectively. SARS-CoV-2-RNA was detected in the blood of 6/23 (26.1%) patients. Thirteen/23 (56.5%) and 17/23 (73.9%) patients were seropositive for IgM and IgG, respectively, at the admission, and the median IgM and IgG levels significantly (p < 0.05) increased after 13 days. Although the limited cohort size, our report provides evidence that SARS-CoV-2 is shed through multiple routes, with important implications in healthcare settings.
Keywords: Anal swabs; Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies; Blood; Nasopharyngeal swabs; SARS-CoV-2.
【저자키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, nasopharyngeal swabs, anal swabs, Blood, 【초록키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, Hospitalized, COVID-19 pandemic, qRT-PCR, Italy, discharge, ELISA, RNA, anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, Cohort, nasopharyngeal swabs, nasopharyngeal, SARS-CoV-2 genome, healthcare, Patient, Hospital admission, Swab, anal swabs, First wave, Admission, patients, seropositive, COVID-19 patients, Antibody titers, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM, Evidence, SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection, COVID-19 patient, IgG antibody titer, IgM and IgG, Virological, serum samples, Negative conversion, Blood samples, median time, blood sample, IgG levels, IgG antibody titers, positive, serological assessment, serum sample, NPs, implication, tested, described, collected, significantly, evaluated, provide, the median, 【제목키워드】 longitudinal, hospitalized COVID-19 patient,