Table 1.
Summary table of study characteristics of the 66 studies
| Total number of studies (%) |
Index test |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dPCR (%) | qPCR (%) | LAMP (%) | |||
| Overall | 66 (100%) | 11 (17%) | 32 (48%) | 23 (37%) | |
| Reference test | |||||
| EUA-approved PCR | 37 (56%) | 6 (9%) | 19 (29%) | 12 (18%) | |
| Laboratory-developed tests | 29 (44%) | 5 (8%) | 13 (20%) | 11 (17%) | |
| Specimen types | |||||
| Swabs (nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal) | 54 (82%) | 10 (15%) | 27 (41%) | 17 (26%) | |
| Saliva | 16 (24%) | 3 (5%) | 11 (17%) | 2 (3%) | |
| Sputum | 11 (17%) | 4 (6%) | 4 (6%) | 3 (5%) | |
| Other | 7 (11%) | 2 (3%) | 3 (5%) | 2 (3%) | |
| Primer–probe sets | |||||
| ORF1ab | 18 (27%) | 6 (9%) | 4 (6%) | 8 (12%) | |
| N | 47 (71%) | 9 (14%) | 23 (35%) | 15 (23%) | |
| E | 20 (30%) | 2 (3%) | 14 (21%) | 4 (6%) | |
| RdRP | 15 (23%) | 2 (3%) | 9 (14%) | 4 (6%) | |
| Other | 19 (29%) | 0 (0%) | 4 (6%) | 15 (23%) | |
| Use of RNA extraction | |||||
| With RNA extraction | 51 (77%) | 11 (17%) | 22 (33%) | 18 (27%) | |
| Without RNA extraction | 12 (18%) | 0 (0%) | 6 (9%) | 6 (9%) | |
| RNA extraction method | |||||
| Magnetic beads | 16 (24%) | 2 (3%) | 10 (15%) | 4 (6%) | |
| Silica spin column | 12 (18%) | 3 (5%) | 5 (8%) | 4 (6%) | |
| Automatic | 6 (9%) | 2 (3%) | 3 (5%) | 1 (2%) | |
Data are n (%); all percentages were calculated by dividing the number of studies in each category by 66 studies. A given study can straddle two or more study characteristics. A summary of the content of the 66 studies is shown in the appendix (pp 2–18). dPCR=digital PCR. qPCR=quantitative PCR. LAMP=loop-mediated isothermal amplification. EUA=Emergency Use Authorization. ORF1ab=open reading frame 1ab. N=nucleocapsid. E=envelope. RdRP=RNA-dependent RNA polymerase.