Reverse-Transcription Recombinase-Aided Amplification Assay for Rapid Detection of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)

Abstract

A novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was recently identified in patients with acute respiratory disease and spread quickly worldwide. A specific and rapid diagnostic method is important for early identification. The reverse-transcription recombinase-aided amplification (RT-RAA) assay is a rapid detection method for several pathogens. Assays were performed within 5-15 min as a one-step single tube reaction at 39 °C. In this study, we established two RT-RAA assays for the <i>S</i> and <i>orf1ab</i> gene of SARS-CoV-2 using clinical specimens for validation. The analytical sensitivity of the RT-RAA assay was 10 copies for the <i>S</i> and one copy for the <i>orf1ab</i> gene per reaction. Cross-reactions were not observed with any of the other respiratory pathogens. A 100% agreement between the RT-RAA and real-time PCR assays was accomplished after testing 120 respiratory specimens. These results demonstrate that the proposed RT-RAA assay will be beneficial as it is a faster, more sensitive, and more specific tool for the detection of SARS-CoV-2.