A Retrospective Population Study of 385 191 Positive Real-Time Reverse Transcription–Polymerase Chain Reaction Tests For SARS-CoV-2 from a Single Laboratory in Katowice, Poland from April 2020 to July 2022

Abstract

Background:This retrospective population study identified 385 191 positive real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from a single laboratory in Katowice, Poland, from April 2020 to July 2022. Material/Methods:The material was nasopharyngeal, nasopharyngeal swab or bronchial lavage, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) to confirm or exclude SARS-CoV-2 infection with the RT-PCR technique. Personal data are use according to the Provisions on the Protection of Personal Data by the Gyn-Centrum laboratory. Results:In 9 months of 2020, the number of SARS-CoV-2 results was 88 986; in 2021, it was 168 439, and in the first 7 months of 2022, it was 12 786. In 2020, the highest number of positive results was recorded in the third quarter (83 094 cases); 2021, in the 1 st , 2 nd , and 4 th quarters (58 712; 37 720; and 71 753 cases, respectively), and in 2022, in the 1 st quarter (127 613 cases) of the year. A positive result was observed more often in women and people aged 30-39, followed by those 40-49 years. Patients aged 10-19 years comprised the smallest population of SARS-CoV-2-positive cases. Conclusions:In the Polish population studied, from April 2020 to July 2022, the detection rates of SARS-CoV-2 positivity were significantly higher for women than for men and in the 30-49 age group for both sexes. Also, the infection detection rate of 385 191 out of 1 332 659 patient samples, or 28.9%, supports that the Polish society adhered to public health recommendations for infection control during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reinfections from SARS-CoV-2: A Retrospective Study from the Gyncentrum Genetic Laboratory in Sosnowiec, Poland, April 2020 to July 2022

“…As in our previous study [ 11 ], to extract total ribonucleic acid (RNA), nasopharyngeal swabs were taken, which were then placed in a test tube with a virus preservation medium (VPM/VTM) or saline, and RNA was isolated using the following kits: Kurabo QuickGene Mini480 Nucleic Acid Isolation System (Kurabo, NY, USA), Maxwell® RSC Viral Total Nucleic Acid Purification Kit (Promega, Madison, USA), Chemagic 360TM Viral DNA/RNA Kit (Perkin Elmer, Massachusetts, USA), and Biomek RNA Advance Viral Isolation Kit (Beckman Coulter, California, USA).…”

“…Reinfection cases were extracted from the large database of SARS-CoV-2 cases analyzed in our previous study [ 11 ]. Out of a total of 385 191 SARS-CoV-2 positive tests reported, 8041 reinfections occurred [ 11 ]. These cases were divided into several groups.…”

“…Like our previous study [ 11 ], the present research adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki (2013) for experiments on humans. Approval of the Ethical Committee at the University of Technology in Katowice (Academy of Silesia, Poland), no.…”

“…As described in our previous study [ 11 ], RT-PCR was performed based on diagnostic kits with CE IVD certification – Viasure SARS-CoV-2 Real-Time PCR Detection Kit (Certest Biotec S.L., San Mateo de Gallego, Spain), MediPan 2G + Fast COVID Kit (Medicofarma, Radom, Poland), 2019 Novel-Coronavirus [2019-nCOV] Triplex RT-qPCR Detection Kit (Vazyme, Nanjing, China), MutaPlex Coronavirus Real-Time-RT-PCR Kit (Immunodiagnostic, The Boldons, Great Britain), XpertXpress SARS-CoV-2 and Xppert Xpress SARS-CoV-2/Flu/RSV (Gene Xpert, Sunnyvale, California, USA) – in suitably thermal conditions, as recommended by the manufacturers, on BioradCFX 96 and BioradCFX Opus thermal cyclers (BioRad, California, USA) and Aria MX and Aria DX (Agilent Technologies, California, USA). The test was interpreted according to the manufacturers’ recommendations.…”

“…The aim of the current study was to conduct an extended analysis of previously published epidemiological data on the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Poland [ 11 ]. More specifically, we conducted a retrospective study based on data from the Gyncentrum Genetic Laboratory in Sosnowiec, Poland to evaluate reinfections from SARS-CoV-2 between April 2020 and July 2022.…”