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. 2020 Nov;19(6):872-874.
doi: 10.1016/j.jcf.2020.08.005. Epub 2020 Aug 11.

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in a Belgian cohort of patients with cystic fibrosis

S Berardis  1 , A Verroken  2 , A Vetillart  3 , C Struyf  3 , M Gilbert  3 , D Gruson  2 , S Gohy  4
Affiliations

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in a Belgian cohort of patients with cystic fibrosis

S Berardis et al. J Cyst Fibros. 2020 Nov.

Abstract

Background: In Belgium, COVID-19 epidemy began on February 4, 2020 with a peak on April 10, 2020. Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) followed in the Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc were rapidly isolated before the government lockdown.

Methods: After the peak of the epidemy, we measured anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies in 149 patients and collected clinical data.

Results: Only 3 asymptomatic patients presented IgG against the virus. In one patient hospitalized for COVID-19 (positive molecular testing), we did not detect any anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, as in thirty-five other symptomatic patients considered as possible cases.

Conclusions: Even if respiratory symptoms linked to CF are frequent and compatible with COVID-19, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies were detected only in 3 asymptomatic patients. This reassuring study concerning the risk of COVID-19 in patients with CF illustrates the difficulty to distinguish COVID-19 symptoms from respiratory exacerbations and the need of generalized molecular testing to make a precise diagnosis.

Keywords: COVID-19; Cystic fibrosis; SARS-CoV-2; Seroprevalence.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have declared that no conflict of interest exists.

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