Low rate of RNAemia in blood donations collected during the first wave of COVID-19 in France.

To investigate the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via blood, we conducted retrospective molecular screening in blood donated during the first pandemic peak in the two French regions with the highest community transmission. Archived plasma samples randomly selected from donations collected between March 23 and 29, 2020, in Eastern and Northern regions of France were tested for SARS-CoV-2 RNA in minipools of 4 donations (MP4) using the Grifols ProcleixSARS-CoV-2 assay. Reactive MP4 and the four corresponding plasmas were further tested with alternative RT-PCRs and sequencing. Testing for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and in vitro infectivity in cell culture were also performed. Among the 2818 MP4 (corresponding to 9672 donations) tested for viral RNA, 5 were weakly reactive. Among the 20 plasmas included in these five MP4, one presented low-level reactivity with RT-PCRs and Procleix SARS-CoV-2 and was confirmed on sequencing. The estimated prevalence was 1.03/10,000 (95% CI 0-3.1). The 20 plasmas were antibody nonreactive and none of them showed cytopathic effects in cell culture. When recalled, the index-donor declared having had symptoms compatible with SARS-CoV-2 infection a few days after donation. The two immunocompromised recipients transfused with red blood cells and an inactivated pooled platelet product did not develop COVID-19. Our results indicated a low prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the plasma of asymptomatic blood donors during the pandemic peak and no evidence of infectivity in vivo and in vitro. The transfusion risk remains theoretical and does not justify the implementation of SARS-CoV-2 NAT for blood donations.

Le Cam S ，Gallian P ，Ricard C ，Narboux C ，Barlet V ，Maugard C ，Hauser L ，Brisbarre N ，Cappy P ，Pillonel J ，Laperche S ，Morel P ... -  《-》

Minipool testing for SARS-CoV-2 RNA in United States blood donors.

SARS-CoV-2 RNA prevalence in blood donors from large geographic areas of high community transmission is limited. We tested residual donor plasma minipools (MPs) to determine SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia prevalence in six United States areas. Blood donations collected from 7 March 2020 to 25 September 2020 were tested for SARS-CoV-2 RNA (vRNA) in MP of 6 or 16 donations using the Grifols Procleix SARS-CoV-2 research-use only (RUO) transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) assay. Reactive results were confirmed using an alternate target region TMA assay. Reactive MPs were tested by TMA after serial dilution to estimate viral load. Testing for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and infectivity was performed. A total of 17,995 MPs corresponding to approximately 258,000 donations were tested for vRNA. Three confirmed reactive MP16 were identified. The estimated prevalence of vRNA reactive donations was 1.16/100,000 (95% CI 0.40, 3.42). The vRNA-reactive samples were non-reactive for antibody, and the estimated viral loads of the (presumed single) positive donations within each MP ranged from <1000 to <4000 copies/ml. When tested, no infectivity was observed in inoculated permissive cell cultures. Blood donation MP-nucleic acid testing (NAT) indicated that SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia is infrequent and, when detected, the vRNA was at low concentrations. Only one RNA-reactive MP could be tested for infectivity for operational reasons and was not infectious in cell culture. These findings support current recommendations from international and national regulatory agencies to not screen donors by NAT.

Bakkour S ，Saá P ，Groves JA ，Montalvo L ，Di Germanio C ，Best SM ，Grebe E ，Livezey K ，Linnen JM ，Strauss D ，Kessler D ，Bonn M ，Green V ，Williamson P ，Kleinman S ，Stramer SL ，Stone M ，Busch MP ，NHLBI Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation Study-IV-Pediatric (REDS-IV-P) ... -  《-》

Risk of transfusion-transmitted infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 from blood donors in Japan.

Shinohara N ，Ito M ，Kai K ，Kamo N ，Owada T ，Sobata R ，Yamagishi N ，Takahashi H ，Ikeda Y ，Sawai H ，Furuta RA ，Matsubayashi K ，Hino I ，Goto N ，Satake M ... -  《-》

SARS-CoV-2 and post-donation information: a one-year experience of the French haemovigilance network.

Cappy P ，Legrain-Jbilou S ，Chabli L ，N'Debi M ，Gallian P ，Brisbarre N ，Pillonel J ，Morel P ，Laperche S ... -  《-》

Analysis of current SARS-CoV-2 infection in a large population of blood donors evidenced that RNAemia is rare in plasma.

Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by asymptomatic individuals and by blood transfusion are important issues to understand to control the viral spread. In this work, we estimated the current SARS-CoV-2 infection rate in blood donors from Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Saliva and blood samples were collected from 4103 blood donors from June 15 to September 30, 2020. Saliva samples were tested by real-time RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 in mini-pools of four samples. Individual samples were tested for positive or inconclusive pools, and positive donors had their plasma tested. Twenty-seven (0.66%) blood donors were positive for SARS-CoV-2 in their saliva, but their plasma was negative, except for one, who presented a high viral load in saliva and nasopharyngeal samples and RNAemia in the plasma close to the limit of detection. Fourteen (56%) positive blood donors reported mild symptoms related to COVID-19 after donation, but the viral load levels were not statistically different between symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. Despite the measures taken by Blood Centers to avoid blood donors with SARS-CoV-2 infection, asymptomatic or presymptomatic carriers are able to donate. The risk of the virus transmission by transfusion seems to be negligible since plasma RNAemia was seen at a very low level in only one (3.7%) of the positive donors, but other studies must be performed to confirm this finding.

Chaves DG ，da Silva Malta MCF ，de Souza Madeira Ferreira Boy L ，Miranda Barbosa A ，Fonseca CN ，Ellen de Lima Torres D ，Patterson Nogueira J ，Medeiros Moreira H ，Cristine Martineli Loureiro F ，Vargas de Freitas Silva J ，Aparecida Ribeiro M ，Guimarães Mourão Cioffi J ，Lobato Martins M ... -  《-》