Mayo Clinic has developed a test that can detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus in clinical samples. The SARS-CoV-2 virus causes COVID-19.The test, "Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS CoV-2), Molecular Detection" has been fully validated. Data from this test will be submitted to the Food and Drug Administration for review and emergency use authorization.
"This test should help ease some of the burden that is currently being felt at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state public health laboratories," says William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories. "We are doing everything we can to help relieve the burden during this time to provide answers for patients here in Rochester and around the world."
The real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test can identify SARS-CoV-2 from a variety of clinical samples. The PCR assay has been validated to test respiratory samples collected from suspected COVID-19 patients, including nasopharyngeal swabs, sputum, throat swabs, bronchoalveolar lavages, and bronchial washings.
Mayo Clinic will follow CDC's recommended guidelines for SARS-CoV-2 testing, enabling U.S. health care providers to send testing directly to Mayo Clinic. For existing Mayo Clinic Laboratories clients, the SARS-CoV-2 assay will be offered in the U.S. and abroad as capacity enables.
Faster turnaround time for SARS-CoV-2 result
"An individual can now receive his or her result for SARS-CoV-2 within 24 hours," says Matthew Binnicker, Ph.D., a clinical microbiologist and director of the Clinical Virology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
Watch: Dr. Binnicker discuss the COVID-19 test.
