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. 2020 Aug 31;81(5):681–697. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2020.08.043

Table 3.

Studies that calculate test performance characteristics of rRT-PCR or automated rRT-PCR platforms compared to composite reference standards.

Authors Country Study Type No. Patients Demographics Specimen Index Test Composite Reference Standard Definition Study Findings (95% CI)
Total Cases* Age (y) % M Type Primers Platform rSN rSP rPPV rNPV rAcc rPPA rNPA Cohen's κ
Cradic et al. 18 USA Cohort|| 184 33 nr nr NPS in VTM (184) Automated Multiplex rRT-PCR ORF1ab, S Diasorin Simplexa Result obtained from at least 2 of the 3 assays is consensus result. 100% (90–100) 100% (98–100)
Automated Isothermal NAAT RdRp Abbott
ID NOW
91% (79–97) 100% (98–100)
Automated Multiplex rRT-PCR ORF1, E Roche cobas 6800 100% (90–100) 100% (98–100)
Suo et al. 19,a China Cohort⁎⁎ 58 52 nr nr Throat swab (58) Initial rRT-PCR (China CDC protocol) ORF1ab, N N/A Positive result of repeated rRT-PCR, or serology is considered a positive result. 40% (27–55) 100% (54–100) 100% (N/A) 16% (13–19) 47% (33–60)
Zhen & Mangi et al. 20 USA Case Control†† 104 51 nr nr NPS (104) rRT-PCR  (US CDC protocol) N1, N2 N/A Result obtained by 3 out of 4 assays tested is consensus result 100% (93–100) 98% (89–99) 0.98 (0.94–1)
Automated multiplex rRT-PCR ORF1ab, S Diasorin
Simplexa
100% (93–100) 100% (93–100) 1.0 (0.99–1)
Automated rRT-PCR w/sensor N GenMark ePlex 96% (87–99) 100% (93–100) 0.96 (0.91–1)
Automated multiplex rRT-PCR ORF1ab
(2 targets)
Hologic Panther 100% (93–100) 96% (87–99) 0.96 (0.91–1)

Cases according to composite reference standard.

Of cohort or cases.

Format: median (range), median(IQR), or mean±SD. Patient Population.

||

Hospitalized patients.

Emergency Room patients.

⁎⁎

Outpatients, some of whom were later hospitalized.

††

not reported.

a

Suo et al. data is also present in Table 4. Abbreviations- E: envelope, IQR: Interquartile range, κ: kappa coefficient, M: male, N/A: not applicable, N: nucleocapsid, NPS: nasopharyngeal swab, nr: not reported, ORF1ab: open reading frame 1ab, rRT-PCR: real-time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction, rAcc: reported accuracy, RdRp: RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, rNPA: reported negative percent agreement, rNPV: reported negative predictive value, rPPA: reported positive percent agreement, rPPV: reported positive predicted value, rSN: reported sensitivity, rSP: reported specificity, S: spike, VTM: viral transport media, y:years.