Multicentre comparison of quantitative PCR-based assays to detect SARS-CoV-2, Germany, March 2020

Maximilian Muenchhoff; Helga Mairhofer; Hans Nitschko; Natascha Grzimek-Koschewa; Dieter Hoffmann; Annemarie Berger; Holger Rabenau; Marek Widera; Nikolaus Ackermann; Regina Konrad; Sabine Zange; Alexander Graf; Stefan Krebs; Helmut Blum; Andreas Sing; Bernhard Liebl; Roman Wölfel; Sandra Ciesek; Christian Drosten; Ulrike Protzer; Stephan Boehm; Oliver T Keppler

doi:10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.24.2001057

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Multicentre comparison of quantitative PCR-based assays to detect SARS-CoV-2, Germany, March 2020
Maximilian Muenchhoff^1,2 , Helga Mairhofer^1,2 , Hans Nitschko^1,2 , Natascha Grzimek-Koschewa^1,2 , Dieter Hoffmann^2,3 , Annemarie Berger^2,4 , Holger Rabenau^2,4 , Marek Widera^2,4 , Nikolaus Ackermann⁵ , Regina Konrad⁵ , Sabine Zange^2,6 , Alexander Graf⁷ , Stefan Krebs⁷ , Helmut Blum⁷ , Andreas Sing⁵ , Bernhard Liebl⁵ , Roman Wölfel^2,6 , Sandra Ciesek^2,4 , Christian Drosten^2,8 , Ulrike Protzer^2,3 , Stephan Boehm^1,2 , Oliver T Keppler^1,2
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Affiliations: ¹ Max von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany ² German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Munich and Associated Partner Site Charité, Berlin and Associated Partner Site Frankfurt, Germany ³ Institute of Virology, School of Medicine, Technical University Munich/Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany ⁴ Institute of Medical Virology, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany ⁵ Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleißheim, Germany ⁶ Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany ⁷ Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis (LAFUGA), Gene Center, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany ⁸ Institute of Virology, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany

Correspondence:
Oliver T Keppler
keppler mvp.lmu.de
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Citation style for this article: Muenchhoff Maximilian, Mairhofer Helga, Nitschko Hans, Grzimek-Koschewa Natascha, Hoffmann Dieter, Berger Annemarie, Rabenau Holger, Widera Marek, Ackermann Nikolaus, Konrad Regina, Zange Sabine, Graf Alexander, Krebs Stefan, Blum Helmut, Sing Andreas, Liebl Bernhard, Wölfel Roman, Ciesek Sandra, Drosten Christian, Protzer Ulrike, Boehm Stephan, Keppler Oliver T. Multicentre comparison of quantitative PCR-based assays to detect SARS-CoV-2, Germany, March 2020. Euro Surveill. 2020;25(24):pii=2001057. https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.24.2001057 Received: 28 May 2020; Accepted: 17 Jun 2020

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Abstract

Containment strategies and clinical management of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients during the current pandemic depend on reliable diagnostic PCR assays for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Here, we compare 11 different RT-PCR test systems used in seven diagnostic laboratories in Germany in March 2020. While most assays performed well, we identified detection problems in a commonly used assay that may have resulted in false-negative test results during the first weeks of the pandemic.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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2020-06-18

2024-11-21

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Multicentre comparison of quantitative PCR-based assays to detect SARS-CoV-2, Germany, March 2020

Citation style for this article: <a href="/search?value1=Maximilian+Muenchhoff&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Muenchhoff Maximilian</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Helga+Mairhofer&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Mairhofer Helga</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Hans+Nitschko&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Nitschko Hans</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Natascha+Grzimek-Koschewa&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Grzimek-Koschewa Natascha</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Dieter+Hoffmann&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Hoffmann Dieter</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Annemarie+Berger&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Berger Annemarie</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Holger+Rabenau&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Rabenau Holger</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Marek+Widera&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Widera Marek</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Nikolaus+Ackermann&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Ackermann Nikolaus</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Regina+Konrad&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Konrad Regina</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Sabine+Zange&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Zange Sabine</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Alexander+Graf&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Graf Alexander</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Stefan+Krebs&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Krebs Stefan</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Helmut+Blum&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Blum Helmut</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Andreas+Sing&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Sing Andreas</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Bernhard+Liebl&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Liebl Bernhard</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Roman+W%C3%B6lfel&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Wölfel Roman</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Sandra+Ciesek&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Ciesek Sandra</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Christian+Drosten&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Drosten Christian</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Ulrike+Protzer&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Protzer Ulrike</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Stephan+Boehm&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Boehm Stephan</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Oliver+T+Keppler&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Keppler Oliver T</a>. Multicentre comparison of quantitative PCR-based assays to detect SARS-CoV-2, Germany, March 2020. <a href="/content/ecdc">Euro Surveill.</a> 2020;25(24):pii=2001057. <a href="https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.24.2001057" title="doi link" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.24.2001057</a> Received: 28 May 2020;   Accepted: 17 Jun 2020

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Multicentre comparison of quantitative PCR-based assays to detect SARS-CoV-2, Germany, March 2020

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