Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Italy in newborn dried blood spots

Obejctives: Serosurveys can be used to monitor COVID-19 seroprevalence and conduct surveillance. Dried blood spot (DBS), used increasingly as a valuable sample to assay severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies (Ab), has several advantages, particularly in infants, due to the limited amount of blood required and its utility in testing a large number of samples in a limited time-frame. We evaluated SARS-CoV-2 IgG Ab prevalence in newborn DBS in the Trentino region of Italy, during the time period January 2020 – December 2021. Methods: Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels were determined in DBS by means of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 QuantiVac IgG ELISA assay (Euroimmun, Lubeck, Germany). Results: Analyses included 2,400 DBS from newborns (54% M, 46% F), samples being collected 2–3 days after birth. The first DBS that tested positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies was found in March 2020 and, up to May 2020, only 4 positive results were detected overall. Starting from June 2020, the positivity thresholds increased according to the epidemiological waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, with a robust increment in the winters of 2020 and 2021. The percentage of positive DBS rose from 0 to 6% to 10–47%, in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Conclusions: This study demonstrates DBS is a suitable tool for both epidemiological purposes and surveillance in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, particularly in newborns and pregnant women, saving blood waste and sparing patients any discomfort.

Angaben zum Objekt

• Standort: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Umfang: Online-Ressource
• Sprache: Englisch

Verweise und Beziehungen

• Erschienen in: Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Italy in newborn dried blood spots ; volume:61 ; number:2 ; year:2023 ; pages:311-315 ; extent:05 ; Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine ; 61, Heft 2 (2023), 311-315 (gesamt 05)

Beteiligte, Orts- und Zeitangaben

• Urheber: Galla, Luisa ; Cosma, Chiara ; Bertan, Michela ; Altinier, Sara ; Zaninotto, Martina ; Basso, Daniela ; Burlina, Alberto ; Padoan, Andrea ; Plebani, Mario

Weitere Informationen

• DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2022-0948
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2022121413241396046193
• Rechteinformation: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Letzte Aktualisierung: 15.08.2025, 07:35 MESZ