scholarly journals Experience With Pretravel Testing for SARS-CoV-2 at an Academic Medical Center

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 237428952110102
Author(s):  
Katherine L. Imborek ◽  
Matthew D. Krasowski ◽  
Paul Natvig ◽  
Anna E. Merrill ◽  
Daniel J. Diekema ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Immunoglobulin M ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Positive Results

International travel has been a significant factor in the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Many countries and airlines have implemented travel restrictions to limit the spread of the causative agent, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2. A common requirement has been a negative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction performed by a clinical laboratory within 48 to 72 hours of departure. A more recent travel mandate for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 immunoglobulin M serology testing was instituted by the Chinese government on October 29, 2020. Pretravel testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 raises complications in terms of cost, turnaround time, and follow-up of positive results. In this report, we describe the experience of a multidisciplinary collaboration to develop a workflow for pretravel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunoglobulin M serology testing at an academic medical center. The workflow primarily involved self-payment by patients and preferred retrieval of results by the patient through the electronic health record patient portal (Epic MyChart). A total of 556 unique patients underwent pretravel reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction testing, with 13 (2.4%) having one or more positive results, a rate similar to that for reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction testing performed for other protocol-driven asymptomatic screening (eg, inpatient admissions, preprocedural) at our medical center. For 5 of 13 reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction positive samples, the traveler had clinical history, prior reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction positive, and high cycle thresholds values on pretravel testing consistent with remote infection and minimal transmission risk. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 immunoglobulin M was performed on only 24 patients but resulted in 2 likely false positives. Overall, our experience at an academic medical center shows the challenge with pretravel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 testing.

scholarly journals Practical Considerations for Implementation of SARS-CoV-2 Serological Testing in the Clinical Laboratory: Experience at an Academic Medical Center

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 237428952110028
Author(s):  
Robert M. Humble ◽  
Anna E. Merrill ◽  
Bradley A. Ford ◽  
Daniel J. Diekema ◽  
Matthew D. Krasowski
Keyword(s):  
Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Clinical Role ◽  
Serologic Testing ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Serology Testing

Molecular techniques, especially reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), have been the gold standard for the diagnosis of acute severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Serological tests for SARS-CoV-2 have been widely used for serosurveys, epidemiology, and identification of potential convalescent plasma donors. However, the clinical role of serologic testing is still limited and evolving. In this report, we describe the experience of selecting, validating, and implementing SARS-CoV-2 serologic testing for clinical purposes at an academic medical center in a rural state. Successful implementation involved close collaboration between pathology, infectious diseases, and outpatient clinics. The most common clinician concerns were appropriateness/utility of testing, patient charges/insurance coverage, and assay specificity. In analyzing test utilization, serologic testing in the first month after go-live was almost entirely outpatient and appeared to be strongly driven by patient interest (including health care workers and others in high-risk occupations for exposure to SARS-CoV-2), with little evidence that the results impacted clinical decision-making. Test volumes for serology declined steadily through October 31, 2020, with inpatient ordering assuming a steadily higher percentage of the total. In a 5-month period, SARS-CoV-2 serology test volumes amounted to only 1.3% of that of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Unlike reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, supply chain challenges and reagent availability were not major issues for serology testing. We also discuss the most recent challenge of requirements for SARS-CoV-2 testing in international travel protocols. Overall, our experience at an academic medical center shows that SARS-CoV-2 serology testing assumed a limited clinical role.

scholarly journals Early Results from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Polymerase Chain Reaction Testing of Healthcare Workers at an Academic Medical Center in New York City

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arielle R Nagler ◽  
Eric R Goldberg ◽  
Maria E Aguero-Rosenfeld ◽  
Joan Cangiarella ◽  
Gary Kalkut ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
New York University ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Early Results ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Returning To Work ◽  
Polymerase Chain

Abstract Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction employee testing was implemented across New York University Langone Health. Over 8 weeks, 14 764 employees were tested; 33% of symptomatic employees, 8% of asymptomatic employees reporting COVID-19 exposure, and 3% of employees returning to work were positive. Positivity rates declined over time, possibly reflecting the importance of community transmission and efficacy of personal protective equipment.

scholarly journals Current quantitative polymerase chain reaction to detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 may give positive results for other described coronavirus

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Martínez-Murcia ◽  
Adrián García-Sirera ◽  
Aaron Navarro ◽  
Patricia Ros-Tárraga ◽  
Laura Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Environmental Samples ◽  
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Epidemiological Surveillance ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Positive Results

SUMMARYSome weeks after the first CoVID-19 outbreak, the WHO published some qPCR protocol assays developed by different institutions worldwide. These qPCR designs are being used to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the population, which allow us to monitore the prevalence of the virus during the pandemic. Moreover, the use of these designs is wide spreading and nowadays they are used to detect SARS-CoV-2 in environmental samples to act as epidemiological surveillance tool. However, at the time of designing the published RT-qPCR assays, a lack of SARS-CoV-2 genomes available may explain a low exclusivity in some cases. In this study, we are reporting experimental data which demonstrate that some of the current qPCR used to detect SARS-CoV-2 may give positive results for other described coronavirus different from SARS-CoV-2.

scholarly journals Rapid, Sensitive, and Specific Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Detection: A Multicenter Comparison Between Standard Quantitative Reverse-Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction and CRISPR-Based DETECTR

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eelke Brandsma ◽  
Han J M P Verhagen ◽  
Thijs J W van de Laar ◽  
Eric C J Claas ◽  
Marion Cornelissen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
N Gene ◽  
Analytical Sensitivity ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Qrt Pcr ◽  
Ribonucleoprotein Complexes ◽  
Large Patient ◽  
Polymerase Chain

Abstract Background Recent advances in CRISPR-based diagnostics suggest that DETECTR, a combination of reverse-transcriptase loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) and subsequent Cas12 bystander nuclease activation by amplicon-targeting ribonucleoprotein complexes, could be a faster and cheaper alternative to quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) without sacrificing sensitivity and/or specificity. Methods In this study, we compare DETECTR with qRT-PCR to diagnose coronavirus disease 2019 on 378 patient samples. Patient sample dilution assays suggest a higher analytical sensitivity of DETECTR compared with qRT-PCR; however, this was not confirmed in this large patient cohort, where we report 95% reproducibility between the 2 tests. Results These data showed that both techniques are equally sensitive in detecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) providing additional value of DETECTR to the currently used qRT-PCR platforms. For DETECTR, different guide ribonucleic acids can be used simultaneously to obviate negative results due to mutations in N-gene. Lateral flow strips, suitable as a point-of-care test, showed a 100% correlation to the high-throughput DETECTR assay. More importantly, DETECTR was 100% specific for SARS-CoV-2 relative to other human coronaviruses. Conclusions Because there is no need for specialized equipment, DETECTR could be rapidly implemented as a complementary technically independent approach to qRT-PCR thereby increasing the testing capacity of medical microbiological laboratories and relieving the existent PCR platforms for routine non-SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing.

scholarly journals Investigation of Compatibility of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Kits Containing Different Gene Targets During COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Figen Sarıgul ◽  
Osman Doluca ◽  
Sıla Akhan ◽  
Murat Sayan
Keyword(s):  
Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
Accurate Diagnosis ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Unknown Sample ◽  
Deming Regression ◽  
Polymerase Chain

ABSTRACTAimIn the diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique is often used. We evaluated the compatibility of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR kits containing different gene targets during the pandemic.Materials & methodsSamples were tested by Bio-Speddy® (RdRp gene) and Diagnovital® (RdRp+E genes). The correlation between two assays were determined by Deming regression and chi-square heatmap analyses.ResultsDiagnovital PCR kit showed in a constricted range and conveniently exponential amplification curves than Bio-Speedy PCR kit. While the correlation increased when a secondary biomarker was added to the kit.ConclusionIn an unknown sample, using together different PCR kits that target different genes during the pandemic situation may provide a more accurate diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2.

scholarly journals Reinfection of SARS-CoV-2: reports of three cases from a tertiary care hospital of Bangladesh

2020 ◽  
pp. 107-110
Author(s):  
Md Jubaidul Islam ◽  
Jamal Uddin Ahmed ◽  
Injamam Ull Haque
Keyword(s):  
Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
Vascular Disease ◽  
Tertiary Care Hospital ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Polymerase Chain

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious respiratory and vascular disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). First identified in Wuhan, China, it has caused an ongoing pandemic. Some viruses give us lifelong immunity after first infection and initially researchers thought that SARS-CoV-2 infection may give lifelong immunity after first infection but few cases of reinfection are reported both locally and internationally. We report 3 symptomatic cases of reinfection, diagnosed clinically and confirmed by positive reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for SARS-CoV-2. So, everybody who survived an infection of SARS-Cov-2, should maintain universal masking and social distancing. Birdem Med J 2020; 10, COVID Supplement: 107-110

Serological, Reverse Transcriptase–Polymerase Chain Reaction, and Immunohistochemical Detection of West Nile Virus in a Clinically Affected Dog

2003 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 324-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Buckweitz ◽  
Steve Kleiboeker ◽  
Katia Marioni ◽  
Jose Ramos-Vara ◽  
Audrey Rottinghaus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
West Nile Virus ◽  
Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽  
Immunoglobulin M ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
West Nile ◽  
Intense Staining ◽  
Polymerase Chain

Necropsy of an older dog submitted for evaluation of renal and central nervous system disease revealed histologic lesions compatible with West Nile viral encephalitis and myocarditis, as seen in other species. Using reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction detection of envelope sequences, viral RNA was detected in most organs, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed that at least 1,000 times more RNA was present in kidney than in brain, heart, spleen, or lung. Immunohistochemical evaluation of the kidney revealed intense staining of West Nile viral antigens in renal tubular epithelium and casts located within multifocal granulomatous interstitial inflammation. A canine immunoglobulin M (IgM)–capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed, and patient serum was strongly positive for viral antibody. Retrospective and ongoing evaluation of sera from dogs with neurological disease and of those submitted for heartworm testing detected 4 dogs that were subclinically infected but without additional sickness. Judged by this experience, the kidney of West Nile virus–infected dogs may be an important target organ, one that might be suitable for antemortem biopsy. The presence of virus-specific IgM was demonstrated in the serum of this dog, and finding 4 positives among 169 additional canine sera received since late July 2002 suggests that seroconversion appears to be relatively uncommon in dogs during the outbreak in Missouri.

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