Performance Evaluation of the MatMaCorp COVID-19 2SF Assay for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 from Nasopharyngeal Swabs.

TitlePerformance Evaluation of the MatMaCorp COVID-19 2SF Assay for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 from Nasopharyngeal Swabs.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2021
AuthorsCraney A, Petrik D, Suhku A, Qiu Y, Racine-Brzostek S, Rennert H, Piscatelli H, Rathnaiah G, Hangman A, Carrie M, Cushing M
JournalMicrobiol Spectr
Volume9
Issue1
Paginatione0008321
Date Published2021 09 03
ISSN2165-0497
KeywordsCOVID-19, COVID-19 Testing, Diagnostic Tests, Routine, Humans, Molecular Diagnostic Techniques, Nasopharynx, SARS-CoV-2, Sensitivity and Specificity, Specimen Handling
Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has taken an unprecedented toll on clinical diagnostic testing, and the need for PCR-based testing remains to be met. Nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) is the recommended method for the diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) due to the inherent advantages in sensitivity and specificity. In this study, we evaluated the performance of the MatMaCorp COVID-19 2SF test, a reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assay for the qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 from nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs, run on the Solas 8 instrument (MatMaCorp, Lincoln, NE). The Solas 8 device is portable, and the kit is a lab-in-a-box design which provides reagents in a shelf-stable lyophilized powder format. A total of 78 remnant clinical specimens were used to evaluate the COVID-19 2SF test. Sixty-two clinical specimens originally tested by the Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2 assay (Cepheid, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA) were used to evaluate the clinical accuracy of the COVID-19 2SF test. The negative percent agreement (NPA) was 100% (95% confidence interval [CI], 83.9% to 100%), and the positive percent agreement (PPA) was 85.4% (95% CI, 70.8% to 94.4%). Sixteen remnant specimens positive for other common respiratory pathogens (FilmArray respiratory panel 2.0; BioFire, Salt Lake City, UT) were assayed on the Solas 8 device to evaluate specificity. No cross-reactivity with other respiratory pathogens was identified. The unique lab-in-a-box design and shelf-stable reagents of the MatMaCorp COVID-19 2SF test offer laboratories a rapid option for a diagnostic NAAT for SARS-CoV-2 that can help meet diagnostic needs. The demand for molecular testing for COVID-19 remains to be met. This study of the MatMaCorp Solas 8 device and COVID-19 test provides the first evaluation of this platform.

DOI10.1128/Spectrum.00083-21
Alternate JournalMicrobiol Spectr
PubMed ID34378961
Related Faculty: 
Hanna Rennert, Ph.D. Melissa Cushing, M.D. Sabrina Racine-Brzostek, M.D., Ph.D.

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