Utilising diverse molecular platforms has formed a solid foundation in New Zealand’s COVID-19 response. We evaluated multiple extraction and PCR assays for the detection of SARS-CoV-2.

We included 65 positive samples which were run on the Panther Fusion using a laboratory developed test (LDT, E gene target). Where viral RNA was extracted by MagNA Pure (MP) 96 extraction platform or EpMotion 5075/Geneaid extraction kit, SARS-CoV-2 detection was performed on Light Cycler (LC) 480 using a LDT (E gene) or 3 commercial assays; Certest Viasure (Orf1ab, N genes) GenePro (E, RdRp genes) and A* Star Fortitude (proprietary target).

Median Cts on LC 480 LDT for specimens (n = 9) extracted on MP 96 (26.6) were lower than on EpMotion (31.6) whereas median Cts for specimens (n = 10) extracted on the Panther Fusion LDT (23.1) were comparable with MP 96 /LC480 LDT (23.6).

Specimens tested on Panther Fusion LDT (n = 28), extracted by MP 96, and amplified using commercial assays showed good concordance with a few exceptions; lower median Ct values were seen for 2 targets on GenePro (16.9, 21.5) and Viasure (19.5, 21.1) than for the Panther Fusion LDT (24.2) and A* Star Fortitude (25.6).

Specimens tested on MP 96 (n = 18) had comparable results using commercial assays, with lower median Cts for Viasure (22.2, 23.7) compared with the LC 480 LDT (24.7), GenePro (24.7,25.7) and A*Fortitude (25.1) assays.

The study provides an early assessment of the performance characteristics of 3 extraction methods for viral RNA and 5 PCR assays for the detection of SARS-CoV-2.

利用各种分子平台已经为新西兰的COVID-19反应奠定了坚实的基础。我们评估了多种提取和PCR检测方法来检测SARS-CoV-2。

我们纳入了65个阳性样本，这些样本使用实验室开发的测试（LDT，E基因靶标）在Panther Fusion上运行。通过MagNA Pure（MP）96提取平台或EpMotion 5075 / Geneaid提取试剂盒提取病毒RNA时，使用LDT（E基因）或3种商业检测方法在Light Cycler（LC）480上进行SARS-CoV-2检测。Certest Viasure（Orf1ab，N个基因）GenePro（E，RdRp基因）和A * Star Fortitude（专有目标）。

在MP 96（26.6）上提取的标本（n = 9）的LC 480 LDT的中位数Cts低于在EpMotion（31.6）上提取的标本（n = 10）的中位数Cts与MP 96 / LC480 LDT（23.6）。

在Panther Fusion LDT（n = 28）上测试过的标本，用MP 96提取，并使用商业化验进行了扩增，除少数例外，显示出良好的一致性。与Panther Fusion LDT（24.2）和A * Star Fortitude（25.6）相比，GenePro（16.9，21.5）和Viasure（19.5，21.1）上的2个靶标的Ct中值更低。

使用商业化验在MP 96（n = 18）上测试的样品具有可比的结果，与LC 480 LDT（24.7），GenePro（24.7,25.7）和A * Fortitude（25.1）相比，Visure的平均Cts（22.2，23.7）低。 ）测定。

这项研究提供了对3种病毒RNA提取方法和5种用于检测SARS-CoV-2的PCR检测方法的性能特征的早期评估。