International external quality assessment for SARS-CoV-2 molecular detection and survey on clinical laboratory preparedness during the COVID-19 pandemic, April/May 2020
Veerle Matheeussen, Victor M. Corman, Oliver Donoso Mantke, Elaine McCulloch, Christine Lammens, Herman Goossens, Daniela Niemeyer, Paul Wallace, Paul E. Klapper, Hubert G.M. Niesters, Christian Drosten, Margareta Ieven, on behalf of the RECOVER project and collaborating networks
Abstract
Laboratory preparedness with quality-assured diagnostic assays is essential for controlling the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. We conducted an external quality assessment study with inactivated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) samples to support clinical laboratories with a proficiency testing option for molecular assays. To analyse SARS-CoV-2 testing performance, we used an online questionnaire developed for the European Union project RECOVER to assess molecular testing capacities in clinical diagnostic laboratories.