TABLE 1.
Molecular diagnostic assays used for the diagnosis of COVID-19.
| Name of test | Assay type | Manufacturer | Type of sample | Target gene/region | Other information | Country of approval |
| Simplexa COVID-19 Direct assay | Real-time RT-PCR | DiaSorin Molecular LLC | Nasopharyngeal swabs | OFR1ab and S gene | Results in ∼1 h with no RNA extraction | United States |
| TaqPath COVID-19 combo assay | Multiplex real-time RT-PCR | Rutgers Clinical Genomics Laboratory Thermo Fisher Applied Biosystems | Oropharyngeal, nasopharyngeal, anterior nasal, midturbinate nasal swabs and saliva specimens | ORF1b and N and S genes | United States | |
| RealStar SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR assay | Real-time RT-PCR | Altona Diagnostics GmbH | Nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, anterior nasal, and mid-turbinate swabs, and nasal washes/aspirates | S gene | United States | |
| SARS-CoV-2 S gene for BD Max | Real-time RT-PCR | Becton Dickinson Surgical Industries, LTD. | Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs | S gene | Results for up to 24 samples in <3 h | Brazil |
| Childrens Altona SARS-CoV-2 assay | Real-time RT-PCR | Boston Children’s Hospital Infectious Diseases Diagnostic Laboratory (IDDL) | Nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, anterior nasal and mid-turbinate swabs, and sputum specimens | E and S genes | United States | |
| VIASURE SARS-CoV-2 S gene Real-Time PCR assay | Real-time RT-PCR | CerTest Biotec SL (Spain) | Respiratory samples | S gene | Results in 2 h | Australia |
| Loopamp Novel Coronavirus 2019 (SARSCoV2) assay | Real-time RT-PCR | Eiken Chemical Co., Ltd. | Swabs and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid | ORF1ab and S gene | Results in ∼25 min | Japan |
| VereCoV Detection assay | Multiplex RT-PCR combined with microarray | Veredus Laboratories Pte Ltd. | Nasopharyngeal, nasal, throat swabs and throat aspirates | ORF1ab and N and S genes | Results in ∼2 h after extraction, lab-on-chip platform | Singapore |
| AllplexTM SARS-CoV-2 assay | Multiplex real-time PCR | Seegene Inc. | Sputum, Nasopharyngeal swab, Nasopharyngeal aspirate, Bronchoalveolar lavage, Throat swab | E gene of Sarbecovirus, RdRP/S gene and N gene of SARS-CoV-2 | Results in ∼1 h and 50 min after extraction | South Korea |