Real-world SARS CoV-2 testing in Northern England during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
J Infect
; 83(1): 84-91, 2021 07.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1198892
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
SARS-CoV-2 emerged in South Asia in 2019 and has resulted in a global pandemic. Public Health England (PHE) Manchester rapidly escalated testing for SARS-CoV-2 in the highest COVID-19 incidence location in England. The results of the PHE Manchester SARS-CoV-2 surveillance during the first wave are presented.METHODS:
Retrospective data were collected for patients fitting the PHE SARS-CoV-2 case definition from 11th February to 31st August 2020. Respiratory tract, tissue, faecal, fluid and cerebrospinal (CSF) samples were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by a semi-quantitative real-time reverse-transcription PCR.RESULTS:
Of the 204,083 tests for SARS-CoV-2, 18,011 were positive demonstrating a positivity of 8.90%. Highest positivity was in nasal swabs (20.99%) followed by broncheo-alveolar lavage samples (12.50%). None of the faecal, fluid or CSF samples received were positive for SARS-CoV-2.CONCLUSIONS:
There was a high incidence of SARS-CoV-2 patients in the North-West of England during the first UK wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Highest positivity rate was in nasal specimens suggesting this is the optimum sample type within this dataset for detecting SARS-CoV-2. Further studies are warranted to assess the utility of testing faecal, fluid and CSF samples. Rapid escalation of testing via multiple platforms was required to ensure prompt diagnosis and isolate infected cases to reduce transmission of the virus.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
/
Europa
Language:
English
Journal:
J Infect
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS