Abstract
A novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has been identified as the causative pathogen of an ongoing outbreak of respiratory disease, now named COVID-19. Most cases and sustained transmission occurred in China, but travel-associated cases have been reported in other countries, including Europe and Italy. Since the symptoms are similar to other respiratory infections, differential diagnosis in travellers arriving from countries with wide-spread COVID-19 must include other more common infections such as influenza and other respiratory tract diseases.
Highlights
A novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has been identified as the causative pathogen of an ongoing outbreak of respiratory disease, named COVID-19
Since the symptoms are similar to other respiratory infections, differential diagnosis in travellers arriving from countries with wide-spread COVID-19 must include other more common infections such as influenza and other respiratory tract diseases
Rapid differential diagnosis was based on the QIAstat-Dx respiratory panel (QIAGEN, Milan, Italy); this system uses a single-use cartridge that includes all reagents needed for nucleic acid extraction, amplification and detection of the most common bacteria and viruses causing respiratory syndromes: adenovirus, bocavirus, coronavirus 229E (HCoV 229E), coronavirus HKU1 (HCoV HKU1), coronavirus NL63 (HCoV NL63), coronavirus OC43 (HCoV OC43), human metapneumovirus (HMPV), influenza A, influenza A subtype H1N1/ pdm09 influenza A subtypes H1 and H3, influenza B, parainfluenza virus 1–2-3–4 (PIV 1–4), respiratory syncytial virus A/B (RSV A/B), rhinovirus/enterovirus, (HRV/EV), Bordetella pertussis, Legionella pneumophila, Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Summary
Differential diagnosis of illness in patients under investigation for the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), Italy, February 2020. A novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has been identified as the causative pathogen of an ongoing outbreak of respiratory disease, named COVID-19. Since the symptoms are similar to other respiratory infections, differential diagnosis in travellers arriving from countries with wide-spread COVID-19 must include other more common infections such as influenza and other respiratory tract diseases. The outbreak has spread rapidly, affecting other parts of China, and cases have been recorded on several continents (Asia, Australia, Europe and North America); further global spread is likely to occur [4] The spectrum of this disease in humans, named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) [5], is yet to be fully determined. We focus on the results of the differential diagnosis performed on the first 126 suspected cases, analysed in the reference laboratory from 21 January to 7 February 2020
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Schedule a callMore From: Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin
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