Abstract
BackgroundIn the context of COVID-19 pandemic in Catalonia (Spain), the present study analyses respiratory samples collected by the primary care network using Acute Respiratory Infections Sentinel Surveillance System (PIDIRAC) during the 2019–2020 season to complement the pandemic surveillance system in place to detect SARS-CoV-2. The aim of the study is to describe whether SARS-CoV-2 was circulating before the first confirmed case was detected in Catalonia, on February 25th, 2020.MethodsThe study sample was made up of all samples collected by the PIDIRAC primary care network as part of the Influenza and Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) surveillance system activities. The study on respiratory virus included coronavirus using multiple RT-PCR assays. All positive samples for human coronavirus were subsequently typed for HKU1, OC43, NL63, 229E. Every respiratory sample was frozen at—80°C and retrospectively studied for SARS-CoV-2 detection. A descriptive study was performed, analysing significant differences among variables related to SARS-CoV- 2 cases comparing with rest of coronaviruses cases through a bivariate study with Chi-squared test and statistical significance at 95%.ResultsBetween October 2019 and April 2020, 878 respiratory samples from patients with acute respiratory infection or influenza syndrome obtained by PIDIRAC were analysed. 51.9% tested positive for influenza virus, 48.1% for other respiratory viruses. SARS-CoV-2 was present in 6 samples. The first positive SARS-CoV-2 case had symptom onset on 2 March 2020. These 6 cases were 3 men and 3 women, aged between 25 and 50 years old. 67% had risk factors, none had previous travel history nor presented viral coinfection. All of them recovered favourably.ConclusionSentinel Surveillance PIDIRAC enhances global epidemiological surveillance by allowing confirmation of viral circulation and describes the epidemiology of generalized community respiratory viruses’ transmission in Catalonia. The system can provide an alert signal when identification of a virus is not achieved in order to take adequate preparedness measures.
Highlights
On December 31st, 2019, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission in the Province of Hubei, China, announced a cluster of 27 cases of pneumonia of unknown aetiology, including 7 severe cases, with a common exposure taking place in a wholesale market of seafood, fish and live animals in the city of Wuhan
The study sample was made up of all samples collected by the PIDIRAC primary care network as part of the Influenza and Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) surveillance system activities
Between October 2019 and April 2020, 878 respiratory samples from patients with acute respiratory infection or influenza syndrome obtained by PIDIRAC were analysed. 51.9% tested positive for influenza virus, 48.1% for other respiratory viruses
Summary
On December 31st, 2019, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission in the Province of Hubei, China, announced a cluster of 27 cases of pneumonia of unknown aetiology, including 7 severe cases, with a common exposure taking place in a wholesale market of seafood, fish and live animals in the city of Wuhan. On January 7th, 2020, Chinese authorities identified a novel type of virus from the Coronaviridae family as the causative agent of the outbreak, which was called coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 [2]. On January 30th, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 a public health emergency of international concern in China [3]. The outbreak spread beyond China, affecting other countries, many of them in Europe. In February, the number of cases started to fall in China as it increased in other countries, especially in Europe [4]. The aim of the study is to describe whether SARS-CoV-2 was circulating before the first confirmed case was detected in Catalonia, on February 25th, 2020
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