What was behind the first recognition and characterization of autochthonous SARS-CoV-2 transmission in Italy: The impact on European scenario

Valeria Micheli; Alessandro Mancon; Annalisa Malara; Davide Mileto; Pier Giorgio Villani; Alberto Rizzo; Cristina Pagani; Omar Alquati; Maria Rita Gismondo

doi:10.1002/ccr3.4154

What was behind the first recognition and characterization of autochthonous SARS-CoV-2 transmission in Italy: The impact on European scenario

Clin Case Rep. 2021 May 6;9(6):e04154. doi: 10.1002/ccr3.4154. eCollection 2021 Jun.

Authors

Valeria Micheli¹, Alessandro Mancon¹, Annalisa Malara², Davide Mileto¹, Pier Giorgio Villani², Alberto Rizzo¹, Cristina Pagani¹, Omar Alquati², Maria Rita Gismondo¹

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, Virology and Bioemergencies ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco - University of Milan Milan Italy.
² Anesthesia and ICU Department Maggiore Hospital ASST Lodi Lodi Italy.

Abstract

An Italian male with no link to China Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic presented at Emergency Room (ER) with severe respiratory impairment. The RT-PCR on 20 February 2020, nasopharyngeal swab revealed SARS-CoV-2 infection, confirmed with viral culture and sequencing. This was the first identified autochthonous SARS-CoV-2 transmission in Italy, that unveiled global pathogen diffusion. This clinical case highlights an underestimation of SARS-CoV-2 circulation, making initial containment measures unfit to face the real situation and delaying the management of potentially affected SARS-CoV-2 patients.

Keywords: RT‐PCR; SARS‐CoV‐2; pandemic; serology; viral culture.

Publication types

Case Reports