Cited by 110SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchSARS-CoV-2 detection and testingCOVID-19 Clinical Research Studies

Serologic testing of US blood donations to identify severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-reactive antibodies: December 2019–January 2020

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Basavaraju, Sridhar V, Patton, Monica E, Grimm, Kacie, Rasheed, Mohammed Ata Ur, Lester, Sandra, Mills, Lisa, Stumpf, Megan, Freeman, Brandi +33 more·2021·Clinical Infectious Diseases

Abstract

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, with subsequent worldwide spread. The first US cases were identified in January 2020. Methods: To determine if SARS-CoV-2–reactive antibodies were present in sera prior to the first identified case in the United States on 19 January 2020, residual archived samples from 7389 routine blood donations collected by the American Red Cross from 13 December 2019 to 17 January 2020 from donors resident in 9 states (California, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin) were tested at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for anti–SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Specimens reactive by pan-immunoglobulin (pan-Ig) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) against the full spike protein were tested by IgG and IgM ELISAs, microneutralization test, Ortho total Ig S1 ELISA, and receptor-binding domain/ACE2 blocking activity assay. Results: Of the 7389 samples, 106 were reactive by pan-Ig. Of these 106 specimens, 90 were available for further testing. Eighty-four of 90 had neutralizing activity, 1 had S1 binding activity, and 1 had receptor-binding domain/ACE2 blocking activity >50%, suggesting the presence of anti–SARS-CoV-2–reactive antibodies. Donations with reactivity occurred in all 9 states. Conclusions: These findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 may have been introduced into the United States prior to 19 January 2020.

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  1. Okba NMA, Müller MA, Li W, et al. Severe acute respiratory syndrome corona- virus 2-specific antibody responses in coronavirus disease 2019 patients. Emerg Infect Dis 2020; 26:1478-88.

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Authors
Basavaraju, S. V., Patton, M. E., Grimm, K., Rasheed, M. A. U., Lester, S., Mills, L., Stumpf, M., Freeman, B., Tamin, A., Harcourt, J., Schiffer, J., Semenova, V., Li, H., Alston, B., Ategbole, M., Bolcen, S., Boulay, D., Browning, P., Cronin, L., David, E., Desai, R., Epperson, M., Gorantla, Y., Jia, T., Maniatis, P., Moss, K., Ortiz, K., Park, S. H., Patel, P., Qin, Y., Steward-Clark, E., Tatum, H., Vogan, A., Zellner, B., Drobeniuc, J., Sapiano, M. R. P., Havers, F., Reed, C., Gerber, S., Thornburg, N. J., & Stramer, S. L.
Affiliations
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US)
  • American Red Cross (US)
  • Synergy America (United States) (US)
  • Eagle Global Scientific, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
  • IHRC, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
  • CFD Research Corporation (United States) (US)
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
  • Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (US)
Corresponding author
Thornburg, Natalie J
Venue
Clinical Infectious Diseases
Published
2020-11-30
Volume
72
Issue
12
Pages
e1004-e1009
ISSN
  • 1058-4838 (ISSN-L)
  • 1537-6591
OpenAlex
W3108003003
Cited by
110
References
23
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 38 · 2021: 45 · 2020: 3
FWCI
3.08
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
public-domain
Locations
  • Clinical Infectious Diseases (publishedVersion, public-domain)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, public-domain)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, public-domain)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
US government work
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
Keywords
SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 pandemic, blood donation, pre-existing antibodies, serological surveillance, blood donor screening, neutralizing antibodies
MeSH terms
COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Antibodies, Viral, Blood Donors, China, Connecticut, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Humans, Immunoglobulin G, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus

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