TY - JOUR
T1 - A rapid, simple, inexpensive, and mobile colorimetric assay covid-19-lamp for mass on-site screening of covid-19
AU - Chow, Franklin Wang Ngai
AU - Chan, Tony Tat Yin
AU - Tam, Anthony Raymond
AU - Zhao, Suhui
AU - Yao, Weiming
AU - Fung, Joshua
AU - Cheng, Flora Ka Kei
AU - Lo, George Chi Shing
AU - Chu, Stella
AU - Aw-Yong, Kam Leng
AU - Tang, James Yat Man
AU - Tsang, Chi Ching
AU - Luk, Hayes Kam Hei
AU - Wong, Antonio Cheuk Pui
AU - Li, Kenneth Sze Ming
AU - Zhu, Longchao
AU - He, Zirong
AU - Tam, Emily Wan Ting
AU - Chung, Tom Wai Hin
AU - Wong, Sally Cheuk Ying
AU - Que, Tak Lun
AU - Fung, Kitty Sau Chun
AU - Lung, David Christopher
AU - Wu, Alan Ka Lun
AU - Hung, Ivan Fan Ngai
AU - Woo, Patrick Chiu Yat
AU - Lau, Susanna Kar Pui
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding: This study was partially supported by the theme-based research scheme (project no. T11-707/15-R) of the University Grant Committee; the University Development Fund of the University of Hong Kong; Hong Kong Government Consultancy Service, Innovation and Technology Fund and Health and Medical Research Fund.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 by the authors.
PY - 2020/8/1
Y1 - 2020/8/1
N2 - To control the COVID-19 pandemic and prevent its resurgence in areas preparing for a return of economic activities, a method for a rapid, simple, and inexpensive point-of-care diagnosis and mass screening is urgently needed. We developed and evaluated a one-step colorimetric reverse-transcriptional loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay (COVID-19-LAMP) for detection of SARS-CoV-2, using SARS-CoV-2 isolate and respiratory samples from patients with COVID-19 (n = 223) and other respiratory virus infections (n = 143). The assay involves simple equipment and techniques and low cost, without the need for expensive qPCR machines, and the result, indicated by color change, is easily interpreted by naked eyes. COVID-19-LAMP can detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA with detection limit of 42 copies/reaction. Of 223 respiratory samples positive for SARS-CoV-2 by qRT-PCR, 212 and 219 were positive by COVID-19-LAMP at 60 and 90 min (sensitivities of 95.07% and 98.21%) respectively, with the highest sensitivities among nasopharyngeal swabs (96.88% and 98.96%), compared to sputum/deep throat saliva samples (94.03% and 97.02%), and throat swab samples (93.33% and 98.33%). None of the 143 samples with other respiratory viruses were positive by COVID-19-LAMP, showing 100% specificity. Samples with higher viral load showed shorter detection time, some as early as 30 min. This inexpensive, highly sensitive and specific COVID-19-LAMP assay can be useful for rapid deployment as mobile diagnostic units to resource-limiting areas for point-of-care diagnosis, and for unlimited high-throughput mass screening at borders to reduce cross-regional transmission.
AB - To control the COVID-19 pandemic and prevent its resurgence in areas preparing for a return of economic activities, a method for a rapid, simple, and inexpensive point-of-care diagnosis and mass screening is urgently needed. We developed and evaluated a one-step colorimetric reverse-transcriptional loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay (COVID-19-LAMP) for detection of SARS-CoV-2, using SARS-CoV-2 isolate and respiratory samples from patients with COVID-19 (n = 223) and other respiratory virus infections (n = 143). The assay involves simple equipment and techniques and low cost, without the need for expensive qPCR machines, and the result, indicated by color change, is easily interpreted by naked eyes. COVID-19-LAMP can detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA with detection limit of 42 copies/reaction. Of 223 respiratory samples positive for SARS-CoV-2 by qRT-PCR, 212 and 219 were positive by COVID-19-LAMP at 60 and 90 min (sensitivities of 95.07% and 98.21%) respectively, with the highest sensitivities among nasopharyngeal swabs (96.88% and 98.96%), compared to sputum/deep throat saliva samples (94.03% and 97.02%), and throat swab samples (93.33% and 98.33%). None of the 143 samples with other respiratory viruses were positive by COVID-19-LAMP, showing 100% specificity. Samples with higher viral load showed shorter detection time, some as early as 30 min. This inexpensive, highly sensitive and specific COVID-19-LAMP assay can be useful for rapid deployment as mobile diagnostic units to resource-limiting areas for point-of-care diagnosis, and for unlimited high-throughput mass screening at borders to reduce cross-regional transmission.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Diagnosis
KW - Mass screening
KW - Mobile Diagnostic
KW - On-site screening
KW - RT-LAMP
KW - SARS-CoV-2
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85089131052&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/ijms21155380
DO - 10.3390/ijms21155380
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 32751106
AN - SCOPUS:85089131052
SN - 1661-6596
VL - 21
SP - 1
EP - 10
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
JF - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
IS - 15
M1 - 5380
ER -