tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Virol J
. 2021 May 4;18(1):95.
doi: 10.1186/s12985-021-01567-3.
Excellent option for mass testing during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: painless self-collection and direct RT-qPCR
Eva Kriegova[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Regina Fillerova[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Milan Raska[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jirina Manakova[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Martin Dihel[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Ondrej Janca[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Pavel Sauer[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Martina Klimkova[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Petra Strakova[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Petr Kvapil[SUP] 6 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
The early identification of asymptomatic yet infectious cases is vital to curb the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and to control the disease in the post-pandemic era. In this paper, we propose a fast, inexpensive and high-throughput approach using painless nasal-swab self-collection followed by direct RT-qPCR for the sensitive PCR detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This approach was validated in a large prospective cohort study of 1038 subjects, analysed simultaneously using (1) nasopharyngeal swabs obtained with the assistance of healthcare personnel and analysed by classic two-step RT-qPCR on RNA isolates and (2) nasal swabs obtained by self-collection and analysed with direct RT-qPCR. Of these subjects, 28.6% tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 using nasopharyngeal swab sampling. Our direct RT-qPCR approach for self-collected nasal swabs performed well with results similar to those of the two-step RT-qPCR on RNA isolates, achieving 0.99 positive and 0.98 negative predictive values (cycle threshold [Ct] < 37). Our research also reports on grey-zone viraemia, including samples with near-cut-off Ct values (Ct ? 37). In all investigated subjects (n = 20) with grey-zone viraemia, the ultra-small viral load disappeared within hours or days with no symptoms. Overall, this study underscores the importance of painless nasal-swab self-collection and direct RT-qPCR for mass testing during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and in the post-pandemic era.
Keywords: COVID-19; Mass molecular testing; Nasal mid-turbinate swab; PCR diagnostics; Post-pandemic era; Self-collection.
. 2021 May 4;18(1):95.
doi: 10.1186/s12985-021-01567-3.
Excellent option for mass testing during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: painless self-collection and direct RT-qPCR
Eva Kriegova[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Regina Fillerova[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Milan Raska[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jirina Manakova[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Martin Dihel[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Ondrej Janca[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Pavel Sauer[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Martina Klimkova[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Petra Strakova[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Petr Kvapil[SUP] 6 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33947425
- DOI: 10.1186/s12985-021-01567-3
Abstract
The early identification of asymptomatic yet infectious cases is vital to curb the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and to control the disease in the post-pandemic era. In this paper, we propose a fast, inexpensive and high-throughput approach using painless nasal-swab self-collection followed by direct RT-qPCR for the sensitive PCR detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This approach was validated in a large prospective cohort study of 1038 subjects, analysed simultaneously using (1) nasopharyngeal swabs obtained with the assistance of healthcare personnel and analysed by classic two-step RT-qPCR on RNA isolates and (2) nasal swabs obtained by self-collection and analysed with direct RT-qPCR. Of these subjects, 28.6% tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 using nasopharyngeal swab sampling. Our direct RT-qPCR approach for self-collected nasal swabs performed well with results similar to those of the two-step RT-qPCR on RNA isolates, achieving 0.99 positive and 0.98 negative predictive values (cycle threshold [Ct] < 37). Our research also reports on grey-zone viraemia, including samples with near-cut-off Ct values (Ct ? 37). In all investigated subjects (n = 20) with grey-zone viraemia, the ultra-small viral load disappeared within hours or days with no symptoms. Overall, this study underscores the importance of painless nasal-swab self-collection and direct RT-qPCR for mass testing during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and in the post-pandemic era.
Keywords: COVID-19; Mass molecular testing; Nasal mid-turbinate swab; PCR diagnostics; Post-pandemic era; Self-collection.