No evidence of SARS-CoV-2 circulation before identification of the first Swiss SARS-CoV-2 case

Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2020 Sep;56(3):106100. doi: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2020.106100. Epub 2020 Jul 16.

Abstract

  1. •

    Retrospective RT-PCR was performed for SARS-CoV-2 on frozen nasopharyngeal swabs of patients with lower respiratory tract infections collected in Western Switzerland between November 2019 and March 2020

  2. •

    No case was identified before the first officially diagnosed cases

  3. •

    This suggests that the targeted screening approach was adequate when faced with difficulties in upscaling testing capacity

Publication types

  • Letter

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Betacoronavirus / pathogenicity*
  • COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Testing
  • Clinical Laboratory Techniques / methods
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnostic imaging*
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology*
  • Coronavirus Infections / transmission
  • Coronavirus Infections / virology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pandemics*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnostic imaging*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / transmission
  • Pneumonia, Viral / virology
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Switzerland / epidemiology
  • Time Factors
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed