Low SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in a cohort of Brazilian sickle cell disease patients: Possible effects of emphasis on social isolation for a population initially considered to be at very high risk

Luiza Francisco Trafane; Vitor Antonio da Costa; Adriana da Silva Santos Duarte; Audrey Basso Zangirolami; José Luiz Proenca-Modena; Paula de Melo Campos; Samuel de Souza Medina; Sara Terezinha Olalla Saad; Marcelo Addas-Carvalho; Bruno Deltreggia Benites

doi:10.1002/jha2.254

Low SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in a cohort of Brazilian sickle cell disease patients: Possible effects of emphasis on social isolation for a population initially considered to be at very high risk

EJHaem. 2021 Jun 17;2(3):478-482. doi: 10.1002/jha2.254. eCollection 2021 Aug.

Affiliations

¹ Hematology and Transfusion Medicine Center University of Campinas Campinas Brazil.
² Laboratory of Emerging Viruses (LEVE), Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology University of Campinas Campinas Brazil.

Abstract

Despite being initially considered at higher risk for severe COVID-19, sickle cell disease (SCD) patients have mostly presented clinical severity similar to the general population. As their vulnerability to become infected remains uncertain, we assessed the seroreactivity for SARS-CoV-2 to estimate the prevalence of infection and possible phenotypic and socioeconomic determinants for their contagion. Serologic evaluation was performed on 135 patients with an overall prevalence of 11%; positivity was associated with older age and use of public transportation. We speculate that social distancing instructions recommended by our clinic may have contributed to lower levels of infection, but potential protection factors need further investigation.