Performance of Chip Based Real Time RT- PCR (TrueNat) and Conventional Real Time RT-PCR for Detection of SARS-CoV-2

Abstract

Introduction: Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19), caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is ravaging the globe due to its rapid spread. Since providing fast results is of critical importance in a time of shortage of medical personnel and beds in isolation wards and to ensure timely treatment for patients, developing high quality rapid Point of Care (POC) diagnostics is essential. Aim: To compare the diagnostic performance of chip based real time Reverse Trancriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT- PCR) (TrueNat) which has a shorter turnaround time compared to conventional real time RT-PCR in samples of suspected COVID-19 patients. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional observational study was carried out in a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi, India. Five hundred randomly selected Oropharyngeal (OP) swabs samples received from May-July 2020, were included in the study to compare the diagnostic performance of chip based real time RT- PCR (TrueNat) with conventional real time RT-PCR for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. All statistical analysis was performed using STATA version 16.1 software (College station, Texas, USA). Results: The sensitivity of TrueNat test was 100% while the specificity was found to be 99.12% at 95% confidence intervals. The positive predictive value was 91.84% and the negative predictive value was 100%. Conclusion: The short turnaround time, good sensitivity and specificity makes TrueNat a reliable and affordable option to provide rapid results in cases requiring urgent interventions and to augment SARS-CoV-2 testing capacity at peripheral settings where sample load is less.

Diagnostic precision of Truenat® technique and co-relation of ALT levels with HBV-DNA viral load among HBsAg positive patients at a tertiary care hospital in Eastern Uttar Pradesh

“…There are various techniques, which can be used to diagnosis the hepatitis like Immunochromatographic Test (ICT), Reverse Passive Haemagglutination (RPHA), Enzyme linked ImmunoSorbant assay (ELISA), Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA), Chemiluminescent Immunoassay (CLIA), Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Truenat®-PCR. Truenat®-PCR is a chip based technique having rapid turnaround time, does not require biosafety cabinet and staff with minimal laboratory training can perform the test with good sensitivity and specificity ( 11 ). Thus this present study aims to evaluate the diagnostic precision and co-relation of ALT levels with HBV-DNA by closed system Truenat®-PCR.…”