Handling and Processing of Blood Specimens from Patients with COVID‐19 for Safe Studies on Cell Phenotype and Cytokine Storm

• Published in: Cytometry Part A 2020-07, Vol.97 (7), p.668-673
• Main Authors: Cossarizza, Andrea, Gibellini, Lara, De Biasi, Sara, Lo Tartaro, Domenico, Mattioli, Marco, Paolini, Annamaria, Fidanza, Lucia, Bellinazzi, Caterina, Borella, Rebecca, Castaniere, Ivana, Meschiari, Marianna, Sita, Marco, Manco, Gianrocco, Clini, Enrico, Gelmini, Roberta, Girardis, Massimo, Guaraldi, Giovanni, Mussini, Cristina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Asymptomatic; Betacoronavirus; biosafety; coronavirus; Coronavirus Infections - blood; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID‐19 Fast Tracks; Cytokine Release Syndrome - blood; Cytokine storm; Cytokines; Cytometry; Flow Cytometry - methods; Humans; Italy; Laboratories; Masks; Medical Laboratory Personnel; Occupational Exposure - prevention & control; Occupational Health; Original; Pandemics; Phenotypes; Pneumonia, Viral - blood; Protective Clothing; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Specimen Handling - methods; Viral diseases; Viruses
• ISSN: 1552-4922; 1552-4930
• DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.24009

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 heavily involves all those working in a laboratory. Samples from known infected patients or donors who are considered healthy can arrive, and a colleague might be asymptomatic but able to transmit the virus. Working in a clinical laboratory is posing several safety challenges. Few years ago, International Society for Advancement of Cytometry published guidelines to safely analyze and sort human samples that were revised in these days. We describe the procedures that we have been following since the first patient appeared in Italy, which have only slightly modified our standard one, being all human samples associated with risks. © 2020 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry For the analysis of cell phenotype or for intracellular cytokine staining, blood is processed as in the Graphic . Blood is taken to a BLS2 room, where, wearing mask, coat, gloves and lens, blood is processed inside a biosafety cabinet; PBMCs are isolated, stained, and finally acquired by a flow cytometer. Then, analysis can be performed in other rooms, with no precautions. Some images are from http://www.onlinewebfonts.com/icon.