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Choi O, Kim S. Comparison of the efficacy of COVID-19 responses in South Korea and the United States. Glob Health Action 2024; 17:2370611. [PMID: 39135484 PMCID: PMC11328807 DOI: 10.1080/16549716.2024.2370611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic devastated many countries worldwide by causing large numbers of fatalities. In our research, we wanted to answer the question: Why was there such a large difference in the mortality rate between South Korea and the United States? This is because many East Asian countries, such as Korea, had a lower mortality rate than many countries, including developed ones, across the world - the mortality rate of South Korea was about five times lower than the United States. METHODS This study comprehensively compares strategies used to address the COVID-19 pandemic in two different countries: South Korea and the United States. The various aspects of these two countries' responses are examined, including initial response, information dissemination and public compliance, mitigation strategies, and vaccine rollout and their impacts. RESULTS Early and widespread testing, rigorous contact tracing, the clear release of government information, and an organized vaccine rollout powered a proactive approach in South Korea. The United States had a contrasting response consisting of delayed and more decentralized measures, where testing lagged due to varying policies and the political controversies facing vaccine distribution. CONCLUSIONS We signify the gravity of rapid response and testing, clear communication, and efficient vaccine distribution, as we believe this could correlate with a lower mortality rate. In addition, we discuss future directions, including the need for a specific health infrastructure and protocol against highly infectious outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Choi
- The Fessenden School, West Newton, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sunjoo Kim
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital, Changwon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea
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2
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Liu Y, Yu G, Liang H, Sun W, Zhang L, Mauk MG, Li H, Chen L. Detection and identification of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza a based on microfluidic technology. ANALYTICAL METHODS : ADVANCING METHODS AND APPLICATIONS 2024; 16:4582-4589. [PMID: 38919038 DOI: 10.1039/d4ay00847b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
As of now, the global COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, which began in 2019, has been effectively controlled. However, the symptoms of influenza A virus infection were similar to those of SARS-CoV-2 infection, but they required different treatment approaches. To make the detection more accurate and the treatment more targeted. We developed a system that integrates RPA and CRISPR assays, allowing for the rapid, highly specific, and sensitive detection and differentiation of SARS-CoV-2, H1N1, and H3N2. Under isothermal amplification conditions, the RPA-CRISPR Cas12a detection system achieved a detection limit as low as 5 copies per μL, demonstrating excellent specificity. The measurement time was approximately 30 minutes. The RPA-CRISPR Cas12a detection system combined with the microfluidic chip we designed to simultaneously detect three viruses, providing a potential solution for efficient and reliable diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Liu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan Shandong, China.
| | - Guanliu Yu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan Shandong, China.
| | - Hongkun Liang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan Shandong, China.
| | - Wenbo Sun
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Animal Disease Control and Breeding, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan Shandong, China
| | - Lulu Zhang
- College of Information Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Michael G Mauk
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
| | - Hua Li
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan Shandong, China.
| | - Lei Chen
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan Shandong, China.
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3
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Zhang D, Guo Y, Zhang L, Wang Y, Peng S, Duan S, Geng L, Zhang X, Wang W, Yang M, Wu G, Chen J, Feng Z, Wang X, Wu Y, Jiang H, Zhang Q, Sun J, Li S, He Y, Xiao M, Xu Y, Wang H, Liu P, Zhou Q, Luo H. Integrated System for On-Site Rapid and Safe Screening of COVID-19. Anal Chem 2022; 94:13810-13819. [PMID: 36184789 PMCID: PMC9578365 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c02337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the epidemic has been spreading around the world for more than 2 years. Rapid, safe, and on-site detection methods of COVID-19 are in urgent demand for the control of the epidemic. Here, we established an integrated system, which incorporates a machine-learning-based Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy technique for rapid COVID-19 screening and air-plasma-based disinfection modules to prevent potential secondary infections. A partial least-squares discrimination analysis and a convolutional neural network model were built using the collected infrared spectral dataset containing 857 training serum samples. Furthermore, the sensitivity, specificity, and prediction accuracy could all reach over 94% from the results of the field test regarding 968 blind testing samples. Additionally, the disinfection modules achieved an inactivation efficiency of 99.9% for surface and airborne tested bacteria. The proposed system is conducive and promising for point-of-care and on-site COVID-19 screening in the mass population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongheyu Zhang
- Department
of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
| | - Yuntao Guo
- Department
of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
| | - Liyang Zhang
- Department
of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
| | - Yao Wang
- Department
of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical
College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing100730, China
| | - Siqi Peng
- Department
of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
| | - Simeng Duan
- Department
of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical
College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing100730, China
| | - Lin Geng
- JINSP
Co., Ltd., Beijing100083, China
| | | | - Wei Wang
- Shanghai
Customs Port Clinic, Shanghai International
Travel Healthcare Center, Shanghai200335, China
| | - Mengjie Yang
- Chinese
Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing102206, China
| | - Guizhen Wu
- Chinese
Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing102206, China
| | - Jiayi Chen
- Department
of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
| | - Zihao Feng
- Department
of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
| | - Xinyuan Wang
- Holy-shine
Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing100045, China
| | - Yue Wu
- Holy-shine
Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing100045, China
| | - Haotian Jiang
- Department
of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
| | - Qikang Zhang
- Department
of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
| | - Jingjun Sun
- Department
of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
| | - Shenwei Li
- Shanghai
Customs Port Clinic, Shanghai International
Travel Healthcare Center, Shanghai200335, China
| | - Yuping He
- Shanghai
Customs Port Clinic, Shanghai International
Travel Healthcare Center, Shanghai200335, China
| | - Meng Xiao
- Department
of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical
College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing100730, China
| | - Yingchun Xu
- Department
of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical
College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing100730, China
| | | | - Peipei Liu
- Chinese
Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing102206, China
| | - Qun Zhou
- Department
of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
| | - Haiyun Luo
- Department
of Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
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4
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Huang Q, Xu WJ, Wang XX, Zhang X, Pan KN, Zhang JQ, Chen HL, Ruan W, Yao LN. SARS-CoV-2 and Plasmodium falciparum Co-Infection in a Returning Traveler. Front Public Health 2022; 10:871374. [PMID: 35991037 PMCID: PMC9389161 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.871374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Since December 2019, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become a non-neglectable context for the whole healthcare system. Under the background of COVID-19, the detection and diagnosis of malaria cases are under challenge. Here, we reported a COVID-19 and malaria co-infection traveler who has a long living history in Cameroon. The case was administered with dihydroartemisinin and piperaquine tablets for malaria, Lopinavir and Ritonavir tablets, Arbidol, recombinant human interferon α-2b and Compound Maxing Yifei mixture for COVID-19, and Zolpidem Tartrate tablets, Diazepam, Paroxetine Hydrochloride tablets, Thymosin α1, and Lianhua Qinwen Jiaonang during the second hospitalization of the patient since the patient has a certain level of anxiety and insomnia with no evidence of inflammatory reactions. After being tested negative two times for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in 48 h, the patient met China's COVID-19 discharge standards and was discharged with stable vital signs and mental state. Since most countries in the sub-Saharan region have a fragile health system, co-infection for both Plasmodium and SARS-CoV-2 may not be uncommon, and raise a challenge in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention for both diseases. We add to the literature on co-infection of P. falciparum malaria and COVID-19 and offer operational advice on diagnosis, prevention, and treatment for the co-infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Huang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou Xixi Hospital, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wen-Jie Xu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Xiao Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xuan Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ke-Nu Pan
- Medical Laboratory, Xixi Hospital of Hangzhou, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jia-Qi Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hua-Liang Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wei Ruan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Wei Ruan
| | - Li-Nong Yao
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
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5
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Li FP, Shi GF, Lin ZZ, Zhu XL, Wang LJ, Tung TH, Zhang MX. Antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines among hospitalized patients in China: a case-control study. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2022; 18:2088966. [PMID: 35708313 PMCID: PMC9621078 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2022.2088966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A lack of confidence on the vaccination drive hinders the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to assess the antibody response to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine among hospitalized patients in China. This case-control study was based on SARS-CoV-2 sero-surveillance during hospitalization. From April to June 2021, hospitalized patients without documented COVID-19 infection from the Department of Urology were routinely assayed for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The SARS-CoV-2 vaccination history of each participant was obtained from their vaccination records. Of the 405 participants, there were 37 seropositive participants (case group) and 368 seronegative participants (control group); 68 participants (16.8%) had received the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, including 54 who received the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine and 14 received the Sinopharm vaccine. All seropositive participants who had received one or two doses of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine were assessed for at least 16 days, while 31 (8.4%) of 368 seronegative controls who had received the vaccine were tested for 1–94 days. The overall seroconversion rate was 54.4% (37/68) in the vaccinated participants who received the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. The odds ratio (OR) and confidence interval (CI) for seropositivity was 6.20 (95% CI: 2.05–18.71) in those received full vaccination with two doses versus those partially vaccinated participants with one dose after adjusting for sex and age. These findings imply that the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine could have a protective antibody response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei-Ping Li
- Department of Urology, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Enze Hospital of Taizhou Enze Medical Center (Group), Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Gui-Feng Shi
- Department of Preventive Health Care, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhen-Zhen Lin
- Department of Urology, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Enze Hospital of Taizhou Enze Medical Center (Group), Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiao-Liang Zhu
- Department of Urology, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Enze Hospital of Taizhou Enze Medical Center (Group), Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Li-Jun Wang
- Department of Urology, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Enze Hospital of Taizhou Enze Medical Center (Group), Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tao-Hsin Tung
- Evidence-Based Medicine Center, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, Zhejiang, China
| | - Mei-Xian Zhang
- Evidence-Based Medicine Center, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, Zhejiang, China
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6
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Kang CM, Lee NY, Lin CH, Hsu YS, Chang YC, Chung MY, Lee YF, Tseng WP, Wu JL, Chen SY, Lu MC, Ko WC, Lee PI, Hsueh PR. Immunogenicity and safety of homologous and heterologous ChAdOx1-S and mRNA-1273 vaccinations in healthy adults in Taiwan. J Clin Virol 2022; 150-151:105156. [PMID: 35413588 PMCID: PMC8986279 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2022.105156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Taiwan, the vaccination program started in March 2021, with ChAdOx1-S being the first available WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccine, followed by Moderna vaccine. This study aimed to investigate the immunogenicity and safety of homologous and heterologous prime-boost regimens with ChAdOx1-S and mRNA-1273. METHODS From March to November 2021, homologous or heterologous regimens with ChAdOx1-S and mRNA-1273 vaccination (ChAdOx1-S/ChAdOx1-S, mRNA-1273/mRNA-1273, ChAdOx1-S/mRNA-1273) were given to 945 healthy participants. Serum samples were collected at designated time points. The anti-RBD/S1 antibody titers and neutralizing ability were measured by three different immunoassays: Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany), AdviseDx SARS-CoV-2 IgG II (Abbott Diagnostics Division, Sligo, Ireland), and cPass™ SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Antibody Detection Kit (GenScript, New Jersey, USA). RESULTS We found that heterologous vaccination with ChAdOx1-S/mRNA-1273 had an acceptable safety profile and induced higher total anti-RBD/S1 antibody production (p < 0.0001), yet lower anti-RBD/S1 IgG titer (p < 0.0001) and neutralizing ability (p = 0.0101) than mRNA-1273/mRNA-1273 group. Both regimens showed higher antibody titers and superior neutralizing abilities than ChAdOx1-S/ChAdOx1-S. An age-dependent antibody response to ChAdOx1-S/mRNA-1273 was shown after both the priming and the booster doses. Younger age was associated with higher antibody production and neutralizing ability. CONCLUSIONS Heterologous ChAdOx1-S/mRNA-1273 vaccination regimen is generally safe and induces a robust humoral immune response that is non-inferior to that of mRNA-1273/mRNA-1273.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Min Kang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan,; Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Nan-Yao Lee
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University; Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Hsueh Lin
- Division of family medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Shan Hsu
- Nursing Department, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chang Chang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Yi Chung
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Fan Lee
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Pin Tseng
- Department of Emergency Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jhong-Lin Wu
- Department of Emergency Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shey-Ying Chen
- Department of Emergency Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Center for Quality Management, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan,.
| | - Min-Chi Lu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
| | - Wen-Chien Ko
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University; Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
| | - Ping-Ing Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Po-Ren Hsueh
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan,; Department of Laboratory Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan,; Ph.D Program for Aging, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
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7
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Zhang Y, Chai Y, Hu Z, Xu Z, Li M, Chen X, Yang C, Liu J. Recent Progress on Rapid Lateral Flow Assay-Based Early Diagnosis of COVID-19. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:866368. [PMID: 35592553 PMCID: PMC9111179 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.866368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in enormous losses worldwide. Through effective control measures and vaccination, prevention and curbing have proven significantly effective; however, the disease has still not been eliminated. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a simple, convenient, and rapid detection strategy for controlling disease recurrence and transmission. Taking advantage of their low-cost and simple operation, point-of-care test (POCT) kits for COVID-19 based on the lateral flow assay (LFA) chemistry have become one of the most convenient and widely used screening tools for pathogens in hospitals and at home. In this review, we introduce essential features of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, compare existing detection methods, and focus on the principles, merits and limitations of the LFAs based on viral nucleic acids, antigens, and corresponding antibodies. A systematic comparison was realized through summarization and analyses, providing a comprehensive demonstration of the LFA technology and insights into preventing and curbing the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhang
- Central Laboratory, Longgang District People’s Hospital of Shenzhen and The Second Affiliated Hospital of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yujuan Chai
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zulu Hu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhourui Xu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Meirong Li
- Central Laboratory, Longgang District People’s Hospital of Shenzhen and The Second Affiliated Hospital of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xin Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chengbin Yang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jia Liu
- Central Laboratory, Longgang District People’s Hospital of Shenzhen and The Second Affiliated Hospital of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
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8
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Kim KB, Choi H, Lee GD, Lee J, Lee S, Kim Y, Cho SY, Lee DG, Kim M. Analytical and Clinical Performance of Droplet Digital PCR in the Detection and Quantification of SARS-CoV-2. Mol Diagn Ther 2021; 25:617-628. [PMID: 34319580 PMCID: PMC8316104 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-021-00547-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Since the initial coronavirus disease outbreak in late 2019 (COVID-19), reverse-transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) has become the gold standard test to detect severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, a more sensitive and accurate diagnostic tool was required. Therefore, droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) was suggested as an alternative method. Here, we evaluated the performance of ddPCR to detect SARS-CoV-2 and compared it to the performance of RT-qPCR. METHODS The analytical performances, including limit of blank and limit of detection, were established using positive and negative SARS-CoV-2 reference materials. A total of 366 RNA extracts (173 positive and 193 negative by RT-qPCR) were collected from four institutions and tested with a Bio-Rad SARS-CoV-2 ddPCR kit that detects the SARS-CoV-2 genome using primers for N1 and N2. RESULTS Limit of blank was set at 0, and the limits of detection of N1 and N2 were 1.99 copies/μL and 5.18 copies/μL, respectively. Linearity was evaluated using serial dilution samples, which demonstrated good results (R2: 0.999, linear range: 5.88-6825.25 copies/μL for N1 and R2: 0.999, 5.53-5855.47 copies/μL for N2). The results of ddPCR and RT-qPCR revealed substantial agreement (Cohen's kappa: 0.639, p < 0.01). The 63 samples with positive ddPCR but negative RT-qPCR showed low copy numbers, and 55% of them had COVID-19-related symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction demonstrated excellent sensitivity for SARS-Cov-2 detection and consistently agreed with the results from conventional RT-qPCR. Furthermore, ddPCR provided quantitative data that can be used to monitor changes in the viral load of patients with COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoung Bo Kim
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, Republic of Korea
- Catholic Genetic Laboratory Center, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hayoung Choi
- Catholic Genetic Laboratory Center, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Gun Dong Lee
- Catholic Genetic Laboratory Center, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaewoong Lee
- Catholic Genetic Laboratory Center, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seungok Lee
- Catholic Genetic Laboratory Center, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yonggoo Kim
- Catholic Genetic Laboratory Center, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Yeon Cho
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Vaccine Bio Research Institute, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Gun Lee
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Vaccine Bio Research Institute, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Myungshin Kim
- Catholic Genetic Laboratory Center, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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