PREVALENCE OF MOLECULAR AND SEROLOGICAL TESTS OF THE NEW CORONAVIRUS (SARS-CoV-2) IN CARLOS CHAGAS-SABIN LABORATORIES IN CUIABA

Abstract BACKGROUND: COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), became a pandemic in 2020 with mortality rate of 2% and high transmissibility, which makes studies with an epidemiological profile essential. OBJECTIVES: To characterize the population that performed the SARS-CoV-2 molecular and serological tests in Carlos Chagas-Sabin laboratories in Cuiaba. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out with all the samples collected from nasal swab tested by RT-PCR and serological for SARM-CoV-2 IgM / IgG from the population served between April and July 2020. FINDINGS: In the analyzed period, 11,113 PCR-Covid-19 exams were registered. Of this total of cases, 3,912 (35.20%) tested positive, while 6,889 (61.90%) did not detect viral RNA and 312 (2.80%) of the visits resulted as undetermined. The peak of positive RT-PCR performed in July (n = 5878), with 35.65% (n = 2096). A total of 6,392 tests performed on SOROVID-19, with a peak of 1161 (18.16%) of the positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 in July. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Molecular positivity and serological tests, both peaked in July 2020, were mostly present in women aged 20-39, characterizing Cuiaba as the epicenter of the Midwest region in this period due to the high rate of transmissibility of SARS- CoV-2. Key words: coronavirus; PCR-RT; serology; IgG; IgM.