Screening faecal microbiota transplant donors for SARS-CoV-2 by molecular testing of stool is the safest way forward
Christopher A Green, Mohammed N Quraishi, Sahida Shabir, Naveen Sharma, Richard Hansen, Daniel R Gaya, et al.
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Published:March 30, 2020DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-1253(20)30089-3
We thank Gianluca Ianiro and colleagues for highlighting an important concern faced by faecal microbiota transplant (FMT) stakeholders, including stool banks, regulators, and especially recipients, during the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The authors are right in highlighting the concern arising from the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in stool samples and the safety implications for FMT donor screening policies. However, we strongly believe that the approach taken by the authors in excluding donors on the basis of having developed COVID-19 symptoms, having had contact with patients with confirmed COVID-19 disease, or having recently travelled to regions affected by COVID-19, is insufficient and potentially unsafe. The world is currently amid a global pandemic, exacerbated by a large burden of asymptomatic or mild cases; as of March 19, 2020, more than 80?000 known cases have been reported in Europe and the UK.
