Cytokine analysis
BLOOD, VIRUS
Up to 444 blood samples from 92 patients were collected. 84 (91%) were participants of the Ruxo-Sim trial and 8 extra cases were included providing they met same eligibility criteria. Clinical information and patient demographics were obtained from the electronic medical records, and confidentiality was maintained by assigning each patient a unique identifier. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the institution and all patients provided informed consent. Blood collected in EDTA tubes was centrifuged at 1300 x g for 10 minutes, then plasma was aliquoted and stored at −80°C until testing. To avoid additional exposure of healthcare workers to the virus, blood extractions were performed when indicated in routine practice.