CAP TODAY Pathology/Laboratory Medicine/Laboratory Management
February 2022—EliTechGroup MDx announced its research use only SARS-CoV-2 Extended test kit reliably differentiates the SARS-CoV-2 omicron (B.1.1.529) variant from other variants of concern. The in silico analysis was confirmed by testing patient samples positive for different SARS-CoV-2 variants including omicron. The SARS-CoV-2 Extended RUO reagents differentiate the alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and omicron variants in a single multiplex PCR and test for the presence of specific mutations in the regions of the S gene corresponding to positions 452, 484, and 501 of the spike protein. The combination of the melting curve analysis and the optical channel information allows for unambiguous differentiation of the five SARS-CoV-2 variants. The results can be interpreted and released when the reagents are used on the sample-to-result Elite InGenius system. The reagents can also be used on the Applied Biosystems 7500 Fast Dx, QuantStudio 5, and Bio-Rad CFX96, all of which offer melting curve capability.