ORIGINAL ARTICLE
COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges, Controversies
and What we have Learned
Ileana
CONSTANTINESCU1,2,3, Ion MARUNTELU1,2, Alexandra-Elena
CONSTANTINESCU1,4, Adriana TALANGESCU1,2,
Andreia-Ioana
CONSTANTINESCU4,5, Maria TIZU1,2
1Immunology and Transplant
Immunology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 258 Fundeni
Avenue, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
2 Centre of Immunogenetics
and Virology, Fundeni Clinical Institute, 258 Fundeni Avenue, 022328 Bucharest,
Romania
3 Academy of Romanian
Scientists (AOSR), 3 Ilfov Street, Sector 5, 022328 Bucharest, Romania
4 “Emil Palade” Center of
Excellence for Young Researchers (EP-CEYR), Romanian Academy of Scientists
(AOSR)
5 Faculty of Medicine of
“Titu Maiorescu” University of Bucharest, Str. Gheorghe Petraşcu no.67A,
031595, Bucharest, Romania
Correspondence to: Ileana Constantinescu, Immunology and Transplant
Immunology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 258 Fundeni
Avenue, 022328 Bucharest, Romania; Centre of Immunogenetics and Virology,
Fundeni Clinical Institute, 258 Fundeni Avenue, 022328 Bucharest, Romania;
e-mail: ileana.constantinescu@imunogenetica.ro
DOI 10.56082/annalsarscimed.2024.1.14
Abstract. Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic put us in a
very difficult situation and created a lot of challenges for both diagnostics
and follow-up of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2
(SARS-CoV-2). We also had difficult problems understanding the virus-host
interactions and the progression of the immune response. Objectives: We
aimed to point out our experience in the diagnostics of SARS-CoV-2 in patients
admitted to Fundeni Clinical Institute. We have also
investigated the healthcare personnel in order to have some epidemiologic data
about the transmission of the new coronavirus in our institute. Methods: Three
different real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)
assays were used to screen for the new coronavirus infection. The immunization
rate against SARS-CoV-2 was detected by assessing the IgG antibodies in both
patients and clinical staff. We have used the chemiluminescence method to
assess the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. Results: Most of
the diagnosed patients with SARS-CoV-2 infections were admitted to the surgery
wards for hematology and gastroenterology. Our data
showed that all the diagnosed patients developed IgG antibodies against
SARS-CoV-2, but we have noticed that the immunization against SARS-CoV-2 did
not last. Conclusions: Our experience with the SARS-CoV-2
pandemic emphasized that molecular diagnostics by RT-PCR was essential,
together with the study of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, thus enabling us
to better interpret PCR test results.
Keywords:
Covid-19, RT-PCR, SARS-CoV-2, IgG specific antibodies.
