Table 2.
Effect of heat inactivation and storage temperature on SARS-CoV-2 detection.
| Parameter | Heat-inactivationa | Duration of storage at room temperatureb |
|---|---|---|
| No. of replicates or conditions tested | n = 10 | 7 different storage lengths, n = 1 (2.5, 3, 3.5, 3.8, 4.2) or n = 2 (2.7, 3.2 h)b |
| Average Δ Ct E (SD) | 1.56 ± 0.82 | 4.01 ± 1.32 |
| Average Δ Ct 5′ UTR (SD) | 0.99 ± 0.86 | 3.49 ± 1.37 |
| Agreement with ID NOW™ (%) | 100.0 | 100.0 |
a
dry swabs were heat inactivated prior to ID NOW™ COVID-19 and RT-PCR testing.
b
dry swabs were stored at room temperature for up to 4.2 h prior to ID NOW™ COVID-19 and RT-PCR testing, the time intervals for RT-1 to RT-10 were 2.5, 2.7, 3, 3.2, 3.5 3.8, 4.2 h.