Journal of clinical virology : the official publication of the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology
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Fast and reliable detection of SARS-CoV-2 is crucial for efficient control of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the high demand for SARS-CoV-2 testing there is a worldwide shortage of RNA extraction reagents. Therefore, extraction-free RT-qPCR protocols are urgently needed. ⋯ Direct RT-qPCR is a suitable alternative to classical RNA RT-qPCR, provided that only fresh samples (storage <1 week) are used. RNA extraction should be considered if samples have longer storage times or if PCR inhibition is observed. In summary, this protocol is fast, inexpensive and suitable for all respiratory materials.
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The global market for SARS-CoV-2-immunoassays is becoming ever more crowded with antibody-tests of various formats, targets and technologies, careful evaluation is crucial for understanding the implications of individual test results. Here, we evaluate the clinical performance of five automated immunoassays on a set of clinical samples. ⋯ All assays showed good clinical performance. Our data confirm that orthogonal test strategies as recommended by the CDC can enhance clinical specificity. However, the suboptimal rates of test positivity found at time of hospitalization in this cohort underline the importance of molecular diagnostics to rule out/confirm active infection with SARS-CoV-2.
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The unsatisfactory accuracy and capacity of real time RT-PCR depends on several unavoidable reasons, which cannot meet the demands for COVID-19 diagnosis. ⋯ The CMIA can provide important complementation to nucleic acid assay and help to enhance the accuracy and capacity of diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Here we report nosocomial outbreak of COVID-19 among patients in a haematological unit. To our knowledge this is the first report from Central Europe comparing morbidity and mortality in infected and non-infected patients after exposure to SARS-CoV-2. ⋯ This study showed significantly higher mortality rate in COVID-19 patients with haematologic diseases compared to the non-infected patient group. Haematologic patients with COVID-19 have 50 % less chance of survival.