[Some medical staff positive for serum SARS coronavirus antibody IgG have only mild symptoms].
OBJECTIVE
To identify patients with SARS coronavirus infection who have only mild symptoms.


METHODS
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to detect serum antibody against SARS coronavirus in the lysate of whole SARS coronavirus from 19 SARS patients and 200 medical staff members without obvious SARS symptoms after possible exposure to the virus during routine medical practice.


RESULTS
Serum IgG antibody against SARS coronavirus was detected in all the 19 SARS patients, and among the 200 staff members, 20 (10%) were found positive for the antibody but with no obvious or only mild symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum IgG antibody against SARS coronavirus is positive in a small proportion (around 10%) of the medical staff members exposed to the virus in our hospital, but may not cause obvious symptoms, suggesting SARS coronavirus infection might in some cases have mild or even no clinical manifestations.
Si
Jian-hua
JH
First People's Hospital of Foshan City, Foshan 528000, China. sjhua@fsyyy.com
Tan
Jia-ju
JJ
Yang
Guang
G
Tang
Li-xia
LX
D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G