Real-Time RT-PCR Assay for SARS-CoV-2

Application

Triplex, internally-controlled real-time RT-PCR for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

Key Benefits

• Two viral targets to confirm detection in a single sample.
• Does not involve the performance of multiple reactions as are required for the majority of published assays.
• May be performed using several different human specimens.
• Highly specific.

Market Summary

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a new virus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). SARS-CoV-2 is a betacoronavirus, similar to MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, and it is the cause of the current pandemic. COVID-19 typically presents as a respiratory illness with symptoms including cough, fever, and difficulty breathing. Currently, there are no treatments or vaccines for this COVID-19, though trials for these are underway and may require accurate diagnosis for administration.

Technical Summary

Emory researchers have developed a single-reaction, internally controlled triplex assay for SARS-CoV-2. The assay is based on the detection of one target in the nucleocapsid gene and one target in the envelope gene. The assay can be performed using RNA extracted from a number of different human specimens. The SARS-CoV-2 multiplex was initially evaluated with seven strains of SARS-CoV-2 from patients in Georgia, California, and Germany. It has subsequently been validated with more than 30 clinical samples from suspected COVID cases.

Developmental Stage

The assay has been developed and is available.