Strand-Specific Reverse Transcription PCR for Detection of Replicating SARS-CoV-2
Catherine A. Hogan, ChunHong Huang, Malaya K. Sahoo, Hannah Wang, Becky Jiang, Mamdouh Sibai, Marisa Holubar, Roshni Mathew, James L. Zehnder, Benjamin A. Pinsky
Abstract
We developed an assay that detects minus-strand RNA as a surrogate for actively replicating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. We detected minus-strand RNA in 41 persons with coronavirus disease up to 30 days after symptom onset. This assay might inform clinical decision-making about patient infectiousness.
Topics & Concepts
VirologyCoronavirusSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)RNABiologyBetacoronavirusReverse transcription polymerase chain reactionCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)Reverse transcriptaseMedicineGeneInfectious disease (medical specialty)DiseaseGeneticsMessenger RNAPathologySARS-CoV-2 detection and testingSARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchViral gastroenteritis research and epidemiology