There are no robust data on the real onset of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and spread in the prepandemic period worldwide. We investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD)–specific antibodies in blood samples of 959 asymptomatic individuals enrolled in a prospective lung cancer screening trial between September 2019 and March 2020 to track the date of onset, frequency, and temporal and geographic variations across the Italian regions. SARS-CoV-2 RBD-specific antibodies were detected in 111 of 959 (11.6%) individuals, starting from September 2019 (14%), with a cluster of positive cases (>30%) in the second week of February 2020 and the highest number (53.2%) in Lombardy. This study shows an unexpected very early circulation of SARS-CoV-2 among asymptomatic individuals in Italy several months before the first patient was identified, and clarifies the onset and spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Finding SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in asymptomatic people before the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy may reshape the history of pandemic.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Screening, SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, 【초록키워드】 coronavirus disease, SARS-CoV-2, Coronavirus disease 2019, coronavirus, pandemic, Trial, antibody, Variation, Infection, Italy, lung cancer, severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus, Spread, Cancer screening, SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, Asymptomatic individuals, SARS-CoV-2 antibody, Asymptomatic, COVID-19 outbreak, Patient, Cluster, circulation, respiratory, specific antibodies, Frequency, lombardy, date of onset, acute respiratory syndrome, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, Blood samples, domain, blood sample, finding, positive, Italian regions, SARS-CoV-2 RBD-specific antibodies, asymptomatic individual, robust, enrolled, highest, investigated, individuals, SARS-CoV-2 RBD-specific antibody, 【제목키워드】 SARS-CoV-2 antibody,