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. 2021 Feb;93(2):886-891.
doi: 10.1002/jmv.26332. Epub 2020 Aug 2.

SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics in the virology laboratory of a University Hospital in Rome during the lockdown period

Ombretta Turriziani  1   2 , Ilaria Sciandra  1   2 , Laura Mazzuti  1   2 , Daniele Di Carlo  1   2 , Camilla Bitossi  1   2 , Marianna Calabretto  1   2 , Giuliana Guerrizio  1   2 , Giuseppe Oliveto  1   2 , Rodolfo J Riveros Cabral  1   2 , Agnese Viscido  1   2 , Francesca Falasca  1   2 , Massimo Gentile  1   2 , Valeria Pietropaolo  2   3 , Donatella M Rodio  2 , Alessandra Carattoli  1 , Guido Antonelli  1   2
Affiliations

SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics in the virology laboratory of a University Hospital in Rome during the lockdown period

Ombretta Turriziani et al. J Med Virol. 2021 Feb.

Abstract

Italy was one of the most affected nations by coronavirus disease 2019 outside China. The infections, initially limited to Northern Italy, spread to all other Italian regions. This study aims to provide a snapshot of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemiology based on a single-center laboratory experience in Rome. The study retrospectively included 6565 subjects tested for SARS-CoV-2 at the Laboratory of Virology of Sapienza University Hospital in Rome from 6 March to 4 May. A total of 9995 clinical specimens were analyzed, including nasopharyngeal swabs, bronchoalveolar lavage fluids, gargle lavages, stools, pleural fluids, and cerebrospinal fluids. Positivity to SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 8% (527/6565) of individuals, increased with age, and was higher in male patients (P < .001). The number of new confirmed cases reached a peak on 18 March and then decreased. The virus was detected in respiratory samples, in stool and in pleural fluids, while none of gargle lavage or cerebrospinal fluid samples gave a positive result. This analysis allowed to gather comprehensive information on SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology in our area, highlighting positivity variations over time and in different sex and age group and the need for a continuous surveillance of the infection, mostly because the pandemic evolution remains unknown.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; epidemiology; laboratory diagnostics.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there are no conflict of interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
SARS‐CoV‐2 daily positivity during the period of observation. The arrow indicates the start of the nationwide COVID‐19 pandemic lockdown period in Italy. The bars represent positivity rate and the line represents number of positive patients. COVID‐19, coronavirus disease 2019; SARS‐CoV‐2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2
Figure 2
Figure 2
Prevalence of laboratory‐confirmed COVID‐19 cases in the different residential districts of Rome. The marker indicates the position of our hospital center. COVID‐19, coronavirus disease 2019
Figure 3
Figure 3
SARS‐CoV‐2 positive individuals stratified for sex and age (*P < .05, **P < .001). SARS‐CoV‐2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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