The BGI 2019-nCoV RT-qPCR Kit enables diagnostic laboratories to perform SARS-CoV2 testing of nasopharyngeal swabs and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients suspected to suffer from Covid-19. The test kit is compatible with standard methods for extracting the virus’ nucleic acid from the sample such as the QIAamp Viral RNA Mini Kit (QIAGEN) and can be performed on standard real-time PCR instruments such as the Applied Biosystems 7500 Real-Time PCR System (ThermoFisher Scientific) that are available in many molecular diagnostic laboratories in Europe. The test kit includes all necessary reagents and controls to test up to 48 patients in just a few hours.
The test will be made available to diagnostic laboratories in Europe through Curetis network of distribution partners but - owing to the special circumstances of the global SARS-CoV2 outbreak - also directly by Curetis in countries where Curetis’ distribution partners are not set up to supply the test kit themselves at short notices.
Offering the BGI 2019-nCoV RT-qPCR Kit is highly synergistic with Curetis’ Unyvero product line as patients hospitalized with Covid-19 are at risk of co-infections with bacterial pathogens that are often resistant to one or more antibiotics. The Unyvero HPN Panel for pneumonia allows for rapid testing of a broad spectrum of bacterial or fungal pathogens commonly involved in lower respiratory tract infections such as severe and life-threatening cases of pneumonia. It also provides key information on genetic resistance markers often carried by such pathogens and thereby allows for earlier and better informed treatment decisions for hospitalized patients suffering from severe pneumonia.
“The strong synergies in offering BGI’s SARS-CoV2 test alongside our Unyvero HPN application make it an obvious move to leverage our sales channels to make coronavirus testing available as broadly as possible in Europe,” said Oliver Schacht, PhD, CEO of Curetis. “We sincerely hope that in this way we can contribute to containing the outbreak and improving the outcomes of Covid-19 patients by way of a comprehensive offering of diagnostic solutions for severe and life-threatening respiratory tract infections.”