bahram sharafkhanian

 Objectives were to investigate aspects of the COVID-19 epidemics via testing the individuals who were referred to Aramesh Medical Laboratory in Tehran and to integrate the molecular results with epidemiological data since the beginning of the epidemic. 

 In this cross-sectional Study 77528 outpatients were referred to Aramesh Medical laboratory by physicians for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection between March 2019 and May 2021. Viral acid nucleic extracted from nasal and throat specimens and subsequently amplified using Reverse Transcriptase Real-Time PCR. Laboratory data including Ct values compared with epidemic peaks of COVID-19 countrywide. Statistical Analysis was done by SPSS 21 Software.  

 14312 (18.46%) tested positive.36.5% of the positive cases were in the 30 to 39 years old age group. The positive result rate was significantly different based on months, ranging from 6% to 28%, compatible with four recognized epidemic peaks encompassing the end of March through the first week of April (first epidemic peak), from June to July 2020 (second epidemic peak),  October until mid of November 2020 (third epidemic wave) followed by the end of April to May 2021 (until the end period of study, in the middle of 4th peak). In 37.8% of cases, the Ct value was between 21 and 28. Two separate trends were seen for Ct ≤ 25 and Ct ≤ 20  for the first and fourth epidemic peaks, respectively. There was an association between the number of total monthly positive results and total deaths in the country, especially with the  second to third peaks (in the course of summer 2020) and fourth epidemic peak. 

It might be useful to consider laboratory admission rates as an indicator for changes in the epidemic level in the country to continue the SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in accordance with public decision-makers.