Detection of coronavirus-2 by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in conjunctival swabs from patients with severe form of Coronavirus disease 2019 in São Paulo, Brazil

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6061/clinics/2021/e2913

Keywords:

COVID-19, Conjunctiva, SARS-CoV-2

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To test conjunctival swabs from patients with laboratory-confirmed severe forms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 on real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR).

METHODS: Fifty conjunctival swabs were collected from 50 in-patients with laboratory-confirmed severe forms of COVID-19 at the largest teaching hospital and referral center in Brazil (HCFMUSP, São Paulo, SP). The samples were tested for SARS-CoV-2 on rRT-PCR with the primers and probes described in the CDC protocol which amplify the region of the nucleocapsid N gene (2019_nCoV_N1 and 2019_nCoV_N2) of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and compared with naso/oropharyngeal swabs collected within 24 hours of the conjunctival swabs.

RESULTS: Five conjunctival samples (10%) tested positive (amplification of the N1 and N2 primer/probe sets) while two conjunctival samples (4%) yielded inconclusive results (amplification of the N1 primer/probe set only). The naso/oropharyngeal swabs were positive for SARS-CoV-2 on rRT-PCR in 34 patients (68%), negative in 14 (28%) and inconclusive in 2 (4%). The 5 patients with positive conjunctival swabs had positive (n=2), negative (n=2) or inconclusive (n=1) naso/oropharyngeal swabs on rRT-PCR. Patients with negative or inconclusive naso/oropharyngeal swabs had the diagnosis of COVID-19 confirmed by previous positive rRT-PCR results or by serology.

CONCLUSION: This is the first study to present conjunctival swab rRT-PCR results for SARS-CoV-2 in a Brazilian population. In our sample of 50 patients with severe forms of COVID-19, 10% had positive conjunctival swabs, most of which were correlated with positive naso/oropharyngeal rRT-PCR results.

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Published

2021-07-16

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Section

Original Articles

How to Cite

Misawa, M. A. M., Tanaka, T., Minelli, T., Braga, P. G. O., Kato, J. M., Gouvêa, M. S. G., Pinho, J. R. R., & Yamamoto, J. H. (2021). Detection of coronavirus-2 by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in conjunctival swabs from patients with severe form of Coronavirus disease 2019 in São Paulo, Brazil. Clinics, 76, e2913. https://doi.org/10.6061/clinics/2021/e2913