Case Report: Post-mortem Histopathological and Molecular Analyses of the Very First Documented COVID-19-Related Death in Europe

Milenko Bogdanović; Ivan Skadrić; Tatjana Atanasijević; Oliver Stojković; Oliver Stojković; Vesna Popović; Slobodan Savić; Zoran Mihailović; Bojana Radnić; Tijana Aćimović; Irina Damjanjuk; Sanja Despotović; Aleksandra Barać; Aleksandra Barać

doi:10.3389/fmed.2021.612758

Frontiers in Medicine (Feb 2021)

Case Report: Post-mortem Histopathological and Molecular Analyses of the Very First Documented COVID-19-Related Death in Europe

Milenko Bogdanović,
Ivan Skadrić,
Tatjana Atanasijević,
Oliver Stojković,
Oliver Stojković,
Vesna Popović,
Slobodan Savić,
Zoran Mihailović,
Bojana Radnić,
Tijana Aćimović,
Irina Damjanjuk,
Sanja Despotović,
Aleksandra Barać,
Aleksandra Barać

Affiliations

Milenko Bogdanović: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Forensic Medicine “Milovan Milovanović”, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Ivan Skadrić: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Forensic Medicine “Milovan Milovanović”, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Tatjana Atanasijević: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Forensic Medicine “Milovan Milovanović”, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Oliver Stojković: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Forensic Medicine “Milovan Milovanović”, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Oliver Stojković: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Human Genetics, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Vesna Popović: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Forensic Medicine “Milovan Milovanović”, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Slobodan Savić: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Forensic Medicine “Milovan Milovanović”, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Zoran Mihailović: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Forensic Medicine “Milovan Milovanović”, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Bojana Radnić: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Forensic Medicine “Milovan Milovanović”, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Tijana Aćimović: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Forensic Medicine “Milovan Milovanović”, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Irina Damjanjuk: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Forensic Medicine “Milovan Milovanović”, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Sanja Despotović: Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Histology and Embryology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
Aleksandra Barać: Clinic for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
Aleksandra Barać: Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2021.612758
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 8

Abstract

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In Europe, the first case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the first COVID-19-related death were reported in France on January 24th and February 15th, 2020, respectively. Officially, the first case of COVID-19 infection in the Republic of Serbia was registered on March 6th. Herein, we presented the first case of retrospective detection of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the post-mortem-obtained vitreous humor (VH), which took place on February 5th, 2020. This is the first death in Europe proven to be caused by COVID-19 by means of post-mortem histopathological and molecular analyses. Based on this finding, it appears that SARS-CoV-2 has been spreading faster and started spreading much earlier than it had been considered and that COVID-19 was probably the cause of the much-reported pneumonia of unknown origin in January and February 2020.

Published in Frontiers in Medicine

ISSN: 2296-858X (Online)
Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Medicine (General)
Website: http://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine

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