Acta Haematologica

Brief Communication

Low Prevalence of Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and Undetectable Viral Load in Seropositive Blood Donors from South-Eastern Italy

Di Stefano M.a · Sarno M.b · Faleo G.a · Farhan Mohamed A.M.c · Lipsi M.R.d · De Nittis R.d · Bruno S.R.a · De Feo L.b · Granato T.b · Corso G.e · Arena F.f · Centra M.b · Lo Caputo S.a · Margaglione M.g · Santantonio T.A.a · Fiore J.R.a

Author affiliations

aDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Infectious Diseases Unit, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
bTransfusion Medicine Center, AOU Policlinico Riuniti Foggia, Foggia, Italy
cDepartment of General Courses, College of Applied Studies and Community Service, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
dMicrobiology and Virology Section, AOU Policlinico Riuniti, Foggia, Italy
eDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Clinical Biochemistry, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
fDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
gDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Genetics, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2BetacoronavirusSeroprevalenceBlood donorsViral RNA

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Acta Haematol 2021;144:580–583
https://doi.org/10.1159/000515258

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Article / Publication Details

First-Page Preview
Abstract of Brief Communication

Received: November 13, 2020
Accepted: February 15, 2021
Published online: April 20, 2021
Issue release date: September 2021

Number of Print Pages: 5
Number of Figures: 0
Number of Tables: 2

ISSN: 0001-5792 (Print)
eISSN: 1421-9662 (Online)

For additional information: https://www.karger.com/AHA

Abstract

Recently, a significant cluster of pneumonia caused by a novel betacoronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2) was described initially in China and then spread throughout the world. Like other coronaviridae, the viral transmission occurs mainly through droplets. In addition, the virus has been detected in different clinical specimens, suggesting a potential transmission by other routes, including blood transfusion. However, the potential risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via blood products is still unclear. The aim of our study was to investigate the prevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 among blood donors from South-Eastern Italy. Moreover, in the seropositive donors, we searched for the presence of the virus in nasopharyngeal swabs and in plasma samples. Overall, 1,797 blood donors from the Apulia region were tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, using a commercially available assay. Only 18/1,797 donors (1.0%) tested positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies; in none of them SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA was detected in nasopharyngeal swabs and in plasma samples. Our results indicate that most of the blood donors in Apulia remained uninfected during this wave of the pandemic; further, none had detectable virus both in nasopharyngeal swabs and in blood samples. The risk to carry and transmit the virus by healthy and asymptomatic blood donors is probably very low.

© 2021 S. Karger AG, Basel

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Article / Publication Details

First-Page Preview
Abstract of Brief Communication

Received: November 13, 2020
Accepted: February 15, 2021
Published online: April 20, 2021
Issue release date: September 2021

Number of Print Pages: 5
Number of Figures: 0
Number of Tables: 2

ISSN: 0001-5792 (Print)
eISSN: 1421-9662 (Online)

For additional information: https://www.karger.com/AHA

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2021, Vol.144, No. 5

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