Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 specific neutralising antibodies in blood donors from the Lodi Red Zone in Lombardy, Italy, as at 06 April 2020.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Percivalle E
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7315724 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:During the early phase of the pandemic (20 February-4 April 2020), we have investigated the temporal and geographical evolution of the virus in Lombardy showing the circulation of at least seven lineages distributed differently in the Region. In the present study, the molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 was monitored in a period between two pandemic waves in order to track the circulation of new variants (April-August 2020). A great majority of SARS-CoV-2 strains (70.8%) belonged to lineages B, B.1, B.1.1 and B.1.1.1, and five strains belonging to four lineages were already reported in Italy (B.1.1.148, B.1.1.162, B.1.1.71, and B.1.425). In addition, 21 SARS-CoV-2 strains belonged to six lineages not previously observed in Italy were detected. No variants of concern were observed. A total of 152/1274 (11.3%) amino acid changes were observed among spike gene sequences and only 26/152 (17.1%) occurred in the receptor-binding domain region of the spike protein. Results of this study are indicative of ongoing transmission throughout the lockdown period, rather than re-introduction of novel lineages past lockdown. The use of molecular epidemiology in Italy should be promoted in order to provide additional understanding of the transmission of the disease and to have major effect on controlling the spread of disease.
| S-EPMC9542480 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe progression and geographical distribution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in the United Kingdom (UK) and elsewhere is unknown because typically only symptomatic individuals are diagnosed. We performed a serological study of blood donors in Scotland in the spring of 2020 to detect neutralising antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 as a marker of past infection and epidemic progression.AimOur objective was to determine if sera from blood bank donors can be used to track the emergence and progression of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic.MethodsA pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2 virus microneutralisation assay was used to detect neutralising antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. The study comprised samples from 3,500 blood donors collected in Scotland between 17 March and 18 May 2020. Controls were collected from 100 donors in Scotland during 2019.ResultsAll samples collected on 17 March 2020 (n = 500) were negative in the pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2 virus microneutralisation assay. Neutralising antibodies were detected in six of 500 donors from 23 to 26 March. The number of samples containing neutralising antibodies did not significantly rise after 5-6 April until the end of the study on 18 May. We found that infections were concentrated in certain postcodes, indicating that outbreaks of infection were extremely localised. In contrast, other areas remained comparatively untouched by the epidemic.ConclusionAlthough blood donors are not representative of the overall population, we demonstrated that serosurveys of blood banks can serve as a useful tool for tracking the emergence and progression of an epidemic such as the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak.
| S-EPMC7651873 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe first US case of SARS-CoV-2 infection was detected on January 20, 2020. However, some serology studies suggest SARS-CoV-2 may have been present in the United States prior to that, as early as December 2019. The extent of domestic COVID-19 detection prior to 2020 has not been well-characterized.ObjectivesTo estimate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody among healthcare users in the greater Seattle, Washington area from October 2019 through early April 2020.Study designWe tested residual samples from 766 Seattle-area adults for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies utilizing an ELISA against prefusion-stabilized Spike (S) protein.ResultsNo antibody-positive samples were found between October 2, 2019 and March 13, 2020. Prevalence rose to 1.2% in late March and early April 2020.ConclusionsThe absence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody-positive samples in October 2019 through mid-March, 2020, provides evidence against widespread circulation of COVID-19 among healthcare users in the Seattle area during that time. A small proportion of this metropolitan-area cohort had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 by spring of 2020.
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Project description:SARS-CoV-2 IgG screening of 1,000 antenatal serum samples in the Oxford area, United Kingdom, between 14 April and 15 June 2020, yielded a 5.3% seroprevalence, mirroring contemporaneous regional data. Among the 53 positive samples, 39 showed in vitro neutralisation activity, correlating with IgG titre (Pearson's correlation p<0.0001). While SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in pregnancy cohorts could potentially inform population surveillance, clinical correlates of infection and immunity in pregnancy, and antenatal epidemiology evolution over time need further study.
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Project description:We analysed 5,484 close contacts of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in Italy, all tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Infection fatality ratio was 0.43% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.21-0.79) for individuals younger than 70 years and 10.5% (95% CI: 8.0-13.6) for older individuals. Risk of death after infection was 62% lower (95% CI: 31-80) in clusters identified after 16 March 2020 and 1.8-fold higher for males (95% CI: 1.03-3.16).
| S-EPMC7459272 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Wastewater-based viral surveillance was proposed as a promising approach to monitor the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in the general population. The aim of this study was to develop an analytical method to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in urban wastewater, and apply it to follow the trends of epidemic in the framework of a surveillance network in the Lombardy region (Northern Italy). This area was the first hotspot of COVID-19 in Europe and was severely affected. Composite 24 h samples were collected weekly in eight cities from end-March to mid-June 2020 (first peak of the pandemic). The method developed and optimized, involved virus concentration using PEG centrifugation, and one-step real-time RT-PCR for analysis. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was identified in 65 (61%) out of 107 samples, and the viral concentrations (up to 2.1 E + 05 copies/L) were highest in March-April. By mid-June, wastewater samples tested negative in all the cities corresponding to the very low number of cases recorded in the same period. Viral loads were calculated considering the wastewater daily flow rate and the population served by each wastewater treatment plant, and were used for inter- city comparison. The highest viral loads were found in Brembate, Ranica and Lodi corresponding to the hotspots of the first peak of pandemic. The pattern of decrease of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater was closely comparable to the decline of active COVID-19 cases in the population, reflecting the effect of lock-down. This study tested wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 to follow the pandemic trends in one of most affected areas worldwide, demonstrating that it can integrate ongoing virological surveillance of COVID-19, providing information from both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, and monitoring the effect of health interventions.
| S-EPMC8497959 | biostudies-literature
Project description:We analysed factors associated with neutralising antibody levels in 330 convalescent plasma donors. Women and younger donors were more likely not to have measurable neutralising antibodies, while higher antibody levels were observed in men, in older donors and in those who had been hospitalised. These data will be of value in the timely recruitment of convalescent plasma donors most likely to have high levels of neutralising antibodies for ongoing studies investigating its effectiveness.
| S-EPMC7667632 | biostudies-literature
Project description:We compare the expected all-cause mortality with the observed one for different age classes during the pandemic in Lombardy, which was the epicenter of the epidemic in Italy. The first case in Italy was found in Lombardy in early 2020, and the first wave was mainly centered in Lombardy. The other three waves, in Autumn 2020, March 2021 and Summer 2021 are also characterized by a high number of cases in absolute terms. A generalized linear mixed model is introduced to model weekly mortality from 2011 to 2019, taking into account seasonal patterns and year-specific trends. Based on the 2019 year-specific conditional best linear unbiased predictions, a significant excess of mortality is estimated in 2020, leading to approximately 35000 more deaths than expected, mainly arising during the first wave. In 2021, instead, the excess mortality is not significantly different from zero, for the 85+ and 15-64 age classes, and significant reductions with respect to the 2020 estimated excess mortality are estimated for other age classes.
| S-EPMC8743436 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesTo evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in a cohort of asthmatic children before and after starting drug therapy.MethodsData were retrieved from administrative databases of the Lombardy Region. The study population was composed of 78 184 children born in the Lombardy Region in 2002 and followed until their 10th birthday.Children with at least one antiasthmatic drug prescription per year (with the exclusion of nebulised suspension/solution formulations) in 2 consecutive years and at least one antiasthmatic drug prescription after the fifth birthday were identified as potential asthmatics (PA).Each PA was monitored for a period starting from 12 months before and ending 24 months after the first prescription (index prescription, IP). During the monitoring period antiasthmatic drug prescriptions were analysed, as well as spirometry and/or specialist visits.ResultsA total of 59 975 children (76.7%) received ≥1 prescription of antiasthmatic drugs in their first 10 years of life, and 4475 (5.7%) were identified as PAs. In all, 24% of PAs started with short-acting β2-agonists (SABA), 23% with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and 20% with SABA+ICS.A total of 33% of PAs had at least one prescription for specialist visit/spirometry: 11% before and 28% after the IP. The factors associated with a greater likelihood of receiving visit/spirometry prescriptions were local health unit of residence, age and high use of asthma drugs.ConclusionsDespite international guideline recommendations, spirometry monitoring is still underused in asthmatic children, even in subjects who initiated pharmacological treatment and therefore need an airway function evaluation. Moreover, the choice of drug therapy appears not always rational, since one out of four children were commenced on ICS as monotherapy.
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Project description:BackgroundIt is unknown whether patients with PD are at greater risk of COVID-19, what their risk factors are, and whether their clinical manifestations differ from the general population.ObjectivesThe study aimed to address all these issues.MethodsIn a case-controlled survey, we interviewed 1,486 PD patients attending a single tertiary center in Lombardy, Italy and 1,207 family members (controls).ResultsOne hundred five (7.1%) and 92 controls (7.6%) were identified as COVID-19 cases. COVID-19 patients were younger, more likely to suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, to be obese, and vitamin D nonsupplemented than unaffected patients. Six patients (5.7%) and 7 family members (7.6%) died from COVID-19. Patients were less likely to report shortness of breath and require hospitalization.ConclusionsIn an unselected large cohort of nonadvanced PD patients, COVID-19 risk and mortality did not differ from the general population, but symptoms appeared to be milder. The possible protective role of vitamin D supplementation warrants future studies. © 2020 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
| S-EPMC7300944 | biostudies-literature