Journal of clinical microbiology
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On 24 August 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its website to highlight that asymptomatic individuals, even those with exposure to a COVID-19-positive contact, do not necessarily need to be tested unless they have medical conditions associated with increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19. The CDC subsequently updated its guidance on 19 September 2020 to support testing of asymptomatic persons, including close contacts of persons with documented SARS-CoV-2 infection. ⋯ Limitations to consider when testing asymptomatic persons are covered, including the need to prioritize testing of contacts of positive COVID-19 cases. We urge the CDC to consult with primary stakeholders of COVID-19 testing when making such impactful changes in testing guidance.
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Dec 2020
Comparative StudyComparison of the Clinical Performances of the Abbott Alinity IgG, Abbott Architect IgM, and Roche Elecsys Total SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Assays.
Critical evaluation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) serologic assays is needed to guide clinical decision-making and ensure that these assays provide optimal benefit to patients and the public. Here, three commercially available assays with widespread distribution capabilities are compared. A total of 667 specimens, 103 from patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections and 564 collected prior to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, were analyzed in parallel using the Roche Elecsys SARS-CoV-2 total antibody and Abbott Alinity SARS-CoV-2 IgG assays; a subset of 55 samples from patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections was additionally evaluated using the Abbott Architect SARS-CoV-2 IgM assay. ⋯ Among 51 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections, 23 (45.1%), 24 (47.1%), and 22 (43.1%) were reactive by the Abbott IgG, Roche total antibody, and Abbott IgM assays, respectively, with sampling times 0 to 56 days post-positive PCR (median/mean, 2/6.2 days). Combining IgG and IgM screening identified 4/55 additional samples with detectable antibodies that would not have been observed using the assays independently. Notably, one immunocompromised patient with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection showed no detectable antibodies using any of the three assays 43 days after onset of symptoms.
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Frequent, low-cost, universal testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with quarantine of those with a positive result has been suggested as a strategy to address the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States. Specifically, home or community use of tests that use paper strip detection devices, which may have reduced sensitivity for SARS-CoV-2, has been advocated. ⋯ Because of these, we think it is premature to strongly advocate for such a testing strategy, as the adverse consequences may outweigh any benefits. High-quality outcome data demonstrating the efficacy of this testing strategy are needed before widespread implementation.
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Oct 2020
Comparative StudySelf-Collected Anterior Nasal and Saliva Specimens versus Health Care Worker-Collected Nasopharyngeal Swabs for the Molecular Detection of SARS-CoV-2.
We prospectively compared health care worker-collected nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) to self-collected anterior nasal swabs (ANS) and straight saliva for the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in 354 patients. The percent positive agreement between NPS and ANS or saliva was 86.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 76.7 to 92.9%) and 93.8% (95% CI, 86.0 to 97.9%), respectively. The percent negative agreement was 99.6% (95% CI, 98.0 to 100.0%) for NPS versus ANS and 97.8% (95% CI, 95.3 to 99.2%) for NPS versus saliva. More cases were detected by the use of NPS (n = 80) and saliva (n = 81) than by the use of ANS (n = 70), but no single specimen type detected all severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections.
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Oct 2020
Comparative StudyA Direct Comparison of Enhanced Saliva to Nasopharyngeal Swab for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Symptomatic Patients.
The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in shortages of nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) and viral transport media, necessitating the search for alternate diagnostic specimens, such as saliva. We directly compared matched saliva and NPS specimens from symptomatic patients suspected of having COVID-19. An enhanced saliva specimen (i.e., strong sniff, elicited cough, and collection of saliva/secretions) was collected without transport medium prior to collection of NPS from 224 patients with symptoms deemed consistent with COVID-19. ⋯ The one discrepant specimen had the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) confirmed in the saliva specimen using an alternate FDA EUA assay. The overall mean difference in cycle threshold (CT ) values for the positive NPS and saliva specimens was -3.61 (95% confidence interval [CI], -5.78 to -1.44; P = 0.002). An enhanced saliva specimen performed as well as NPS for the qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 in symptomatic patients, although the overall mean viral load in saliva was lower.