English 
Italian CONTRIBUTI SCIENTIFICI – Scientific Papers
Volume:
Biochimica Clinica 2020; 44(4) 027-028
Pubblicato on-line:
June 1, 2020
DOI:
10.19186/BC_2020.057
Prevalenza di anticorpi anti-SARS-CoV-2 in una popolazione di operatori sanitari e amministrativi di un ospedale toscano
Serum prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody in a population of health care and administrative workers in a hospital in Tuscany (Italy)
AUTORI
1Laboratorio Analisi Istituto Fiorentino di Cura e Assistenza IFCA, Firenze
2U.O. Ortopedia Istituto Fiorentino di Cura e Assistenza IFCA, Firenze
3Direzione Aziendale Istituto Fiorentino di Cura e Assistenza IFCA, Firenze
4Settore Qualità Istituto Fiorentino di Cura e Assistenza IFCA, Firenze
5Sezione di Biochimica Clinica, Università degli Studi di Verona, Verona
ABSTRACT
Serum prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody in a population of health care and administrative workers in a hospital in Tuscany (Italy).
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.