February 13, 2021

Comparison of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Screening Using Reverse Transcriptase-Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction or CRISPR-Based Assays in Asymptomatic College Students

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Testing and Treatment

Keywords (Tags): brokendoi, colleges, testing

Rauch et al. concluded that CRISPR-based methods appear to offer reliable SARS-CoV-2 screening based on testing 1,808 asymptomatic college students with both RT-qPCR and CRISPR-based assays. Of the nine samples that tested positive by RT-PCR, eight were also positive by CRISPR-based assays, which are cheaper to run and use lab-generated or off-the-shelf reagents, potentially alleviating supply chain constraints. 

The researchers also found that the viral loads detected in the asymptomatic cases resembled those seen in clinical samples, highlighting the potential for asymptomatic viral transmission.

Rauch et al. (Feb 11, 2021). Comparison of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Screening Using Reverse Transcriptase-Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction or CRISPR-Based Assays in Asymptomatic College Students. JAMA Network Open. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.37129