Extraction free COVID 19 (SARS CoV 2) diagnosis by RT PCR to increase capacity for national testing programmes during a pandemic
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV 2) causes Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19) a respiratory tract infection. The standard molecular diagnostic test is a multistep process involving viral RNA extraction and real time quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT PCR) Laboratories across the globe face constraints on equipment and reagents during the COVID 19 pandemic. We have developed a simplified qRT PCR assay that removes the need for an RNA extraction process and can be run on a real time thermal cycler. The assay uses custom primers and probes, and maintains diagnostic sensitivity within 98.0% compared to the assay run on a high throughput, random access automated platform, the Panther Fusion (Hologic) This assay can be used to increase capacity for COVID 19 testing for national programmes worldwide.