COVID-19 molecular testing solutions

Despite containment efforts, the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus is rapidly spreading across the globe with new cases showing up daily. Declared a Public Health Emergency and raised to pandemic status by the World Health Organization on March 11th, it is becoming critical to identify and isolate new patients and those who have come into contact with them. As more people are exposed, the global need for rapid diagnostics during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak will play a crucial role in containing the spread.

QIAGEN‘s COVID-19 molecular testing solutions

From the very first days of the novel coronavirus outbreak, QIAGEN’s dedicated global teams have been working around the clock to ensure availability of existing testing solutions and to develop new, dedicated COVID-19 tests to address international testing needs.

QIAstat-Dx Respiratory 2019-nCoV Panel

For use with the QIAstat-Dx instrument, the QIAstat-Dx Respiratory-SARS-CoV-2 Panel can differentiate the novel coronavirus from 21 other pathogens implicated in serious respiratory syndromes.

The highly sensitive test works by targeting two genes, ORF1b and the E gene of the SARSCoV-2 virus, and can deliver a result in about one hour with minimal hands-on time.

This so-called syndromic test has the advantage over other RT-PCR-based tests of being able to test for multiple respiratory diseases at once, allowing diagnosis and treatment of the patient whether they turn out to be positive for the novel coronavirus or a different respiratory infection.

The speed and ease-of-use of the test make it perfect for point-of-care testing in situations where a result is needed quickly (for example in airports, at boarders and on cruise ships).

The QIAstat-Dx Respiratory-SARS-CoV-2 Panel was the first syndromic solution integrating detection of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus to receive FDA emergency use authorization (EUA). The panel is also CE-IVD marked.

Kits and instruments

In February 2019, the CDC released a recommended protocol for a real-time PCR test for detection of SARS-CoV-2. Listed in these recommendations are QIAGEN QIAamp DSP Viral RNA Mini kits, which can be automated on QIAcube instruments.

High-throughput automation tests

The QIAsymphony modular system provides complete automation of sample preparation and PCR analysis. The QIAsymphony minimizes hands-on time and enables hospitals or central testing labs to process large numbers of patient samples.

Rotor-Gene Q real-time PCR

The Rotor-Gene Q combines multiple optimized design features to provide outstanding performance and reliable results. Together with optimized QIAGEN kits, the Rotor-Gene Q enables streamlined analysis for a wide range of applications.