QIAGEN has announced its polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests remain accurate and effective in detecting SARS-CoV-2 infections in light of the emergence of a new variant of concern detected in South Africa.
QIAGEN has successfully assessed its SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests against the genetic mutations of the variant, which is known by its scientific name, B.1.1.529. The assessment was made against data available in the GISAID and GenBank public databases.
This applies to all of QIAGEN’s PCR tests for detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus involving:
Furthermore, the new variant is reliably detected by:
QIAGEN has been closely monitoring – and will continue to do so – the performance of its PCR tests as new variants emerge in the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Surveillance of genetic variations will continue on a biweekly basis.
“The best way to fight the global COVID-19 pandemic is a combination of extensive vaccinations, rigorous testing with gold-standard PCR tests, aggressive surveillance of new variants, and above all compassionate treatment for those infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” said Dr. Davide Manissero, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of QIAGEN N.V.
“We are pleased to report that the emergence of this new variant of concerns, as has been the case with other variants, has had no impact on the effectiveness of our SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests. Further genomic sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 samples worldwide will vastly increase transparency and help us identify and respond to potentially dangerous mutations of the virus, while at the same time broadening the database we can use to verify if vaccines and tests continue to be effective,” Manissero said.
The new variant of concern joins a list of other variants with potentially increased transmissibility. These include the Alpha variant (B.1.1.7, first detected in the United Kingdom), the Beta variant (B.1.351, identified in South Africa), and the Delta variant (B.1.1.28 P1, detected in Brazil). As a virus that is encoded by RNA nucleotides, SARS-CoV-2 frequently mutates due to erroneous or ineffective replication of the virus genome. These mutations can sometimes produce viruses with altered properties or even entirely new strains.
To better identify and differentiate potentially dangerous variants, countries around the world are increasing the frequency of sequencing positive SARS-CoV-2 samples to monitor the occurrence of potential mutations.
To support these initiatives, QIAGEN offers the QIAseq DIRECT SARS-CoV-2 solution for rapid and comprehensive monitoring of sequence drift of the virus around the world, as well as QIAGEN Digital Insights bioinformatic analysis solutions.
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