The FDA SARS-CoV-2 Reference Panel released a comparison pitting COVID-19 diagnostics against each other for superior sensitivity.
Developers of the diagnostics are asked to perform a range-finding limit of detection (LoD) for detectable units per mL, according to the FDA release.
The PerkinElmer New Coronavirus Nucleic Acid Detection Kit and the Viracor SARS-CoV-2 assay led the way with LoD registering at 180 detectable units per mL. Zymo Research Corporation’s Quick SARS-CoV-2rRT-PCR Kit, with LoD of 450, was the highest-ranking PCR test.
Both the Panther Fusion assay and Aptima assay made by Hologic registered in the top-1o in sensitivity with LoD of 600 detectable units per mL, while Becton Dickinson’s BioGX SARS-CoV-2 Reagents for BD MAX System and Roche’s Cobas diagnostics for both SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-2 & Influenza A/B all performed with LoD of 1,800.
Abbott’s RealTime SARS-CoV-2 assay came in much further down the list, performing with an LoD of 2,700 but still coming within the top-50 tests.