PMID- 34111179
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20210623
LR  - 20210623
IS  - 1932-6203 (Electronic)
IS  - 1932-6203 (Linking)
VI  - 16
IP  - 6
DP  - 2021
TI  - Low level SARS-CoV-2 RNA detected in plasma samples from a cohort of Nigerians: 
      Implications for blood transfusion.
PG  - e0252611
LID - 10.1371/journal.pone.0252611 [doi]
LID - e0252611
AB  - The present global pandemic triggered by the severe acute respiratory syndrome 
      coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has lingered for over a year in its devastating 
      effects. Diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is currently 
      established with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test by means of 
      oropharyngeal-, nasopharyngeal-, anal-swabs, sputum and blood plasma. However, 
      oral and nasal swabs are more commonly used. This study, therefore, assessed 
      sensitivity and specificity of plasma as a diagnostic in comparison with a 
      combination of oral and nasal swab samples, and the implications for blood 
      transfusion. Oropharyngeal (OP) and nasopharyngeal (NP) swab samples were 
      obtained from 125 individuals suspected to have COVID-19 and stored in viral 
      transport medium (VTM) tubes. Ten millilitres of blood samples in EDTA were also 
      obtained by venepuncture and spun to obtain plasma. Viral RNA was obtained from 
      both swabs and plasma by manual extraction with Qiagen QIAamp viral RNA Mini Kit. 
      Detection was done using a real time fluorescent RT-qPCR BGI kit, on a 
      QuantStudio 3 real-time PCR instrument. Average age of study participants was 41 
      years, with 74 (59.2%) being male. Out of the 125 individuals tested for 
      COVID-19, 75 (60%) were positive by OP/NP swab. However, only 6 (4.8%) had a 
      positive plasma result for COVID-19 with median Ct value of 32.4. Sensitivity and 
      specificity of RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2 test using plasma was 8% and 100% respectively. 
      There was no false positive recorded, but 69 (55.2%) false negatives were 
      obtained by plasma. SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA was detected, albeit low (4.8%) in 
      plasma. Plasma is likely not a suitable biological sample to diagnose acute 
      SARS-CoV-2 infection. The implication of transfusing blood in this era of 
      COVID-19 needs further investigations.
FAU - Okwuraiwe, Azuka Patrick
AU  - Okwuraiwe AP
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0003-2878-0531
AD  - Centre for Human Virology and Genomics, Microbiology Department, Nigerian 
      Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
FAU - Onwuamah, Chika Kingsley
AU  - Onwuamah CK
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-5111-1822
AD  - Centre for Human Virology and Genomics, Microbiology Department, Nigerian 
      Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
FAU - Shaibu, Joseph Ojonugwa
AU  - Shaibu JO
AD  - Centre for Human Virology and Genomics, Microbiology Department, Nigerian 
      Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
FAU - Amoo, Samuel Olufemi
AU  - Amoo SO
AD  - Centre for Human Virology and Genomics, Microbiology Department, Nigerian 
      Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
FAU - Ige, Fehintola Anthonia
AU  - Ige FA
AD  - Centre for Human Virology and Genomics, Microbiology Department, Nigerian 
      Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
FAU - James, Ayorinde Babatunde
AU  - James AB
AD  - Biochemistry Department, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, 
      Nigeria.
FAU - Okoli, Leona Chika
AU  - Okoli LC
AD  - Centre for Human Virology and Genomics, Microbiology Department, Nigerian 
      Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
FAU - Ahmed, Abul-Rahman
AU  - Ahmed AR
AD  - Centre for Human Virology and Genomics, Microbiology Department, Nigerian 
      Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
AD  - Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos, 
      Nigeria.
FAU - Ponmak, Jamda
AU  - Ponmak J
AD  - Centre for Human Virology and Genomics, Microbiology Department, Nigerian 
      Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
AD  - Federal College of Veterinary and Medical Laboratory Technology, Vom, Plateau 
      State, Nigeria.
FAU - Sokei, Judith O
AU  - Sokei JO
AD  - Centre for Human Virology and Genomics, Microbiology Department, Nigerian 
      Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
FAU - Akanmu, Sulaimon
AU  - Akanmu S
AD  - Department of Haematology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi-Araba, 
      Lagos, Nigeria.
FAU - Salako, Babatunde Lawal
AU  - Salako BL
AD  - Clinical Sciences Division, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, 
      Nigeria.
FAU - Audu, Rosemary Ajuma
AU  - Audu RA
AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-0330-5219
AD  - Centre for Human Virology and Genomics, Microbiology Department, Nigerian 
      Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20210610
PL  - United States
TA  - PLoS One
JT  - PloS one
JID - 101285081
RN  - 0 (RNA, Viral)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adolescent
MH  - Adult
MH  - Aged
MH  - COVID-19/blood/*diagnosis/epidemiology
MH  - *COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing
MH  - Cross-Sectional Studies
MH  - Female
MH  - Humans
MH  - Male
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - Nigeria/epidemiology
MH  - RNA, Viral/*analysis/blood/genetics
MH  - SARS-CoV-2/genetics/*isolation & purification
MH  - Sensitivity and Specificity
MH  - Young Adult
PMC - PMC8191972
COIS- The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
EDAT- 2021/06/11 06:00
MHDA- 2021/06/24 06:00
PMCR- 2021/06/10
CRDT- 2021/06/10 17:24
PHST- 2020/12/01 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2021/05/18 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2021/06/10 17:24 [entrez]
PHST- 2021/06/11 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2021/06/24 06:00 [medline]
PHST- 2021/06/10 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - PONE-D-20-37710 [pii]
AID - 10.1371/journal.pone.0252611 [doi]
PST - epublish
SO  - PLoS One. 2021 Jun 10;16(6):e0252611. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252611. 
      eCollection 2021.