ArticleNature communications2020
Massive and rapid COVID-19 testing is feasible by extraction-free SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR.
Article in Nature communications, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 255 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
255 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 473 citations in OpenAlex.
- Laboratory-based molecular test alternatives to RT-PCR for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Rapid, point-of-care antigen and molecular-based tests for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Development of a Direct Cell-to-PCR Lysis Buffer Using Optimized Non-Ionic Detergents for RNA-Extraction-Free RT-qPCR.Methods and protocols · 2026Article
- Ultrafast Plasmonic Nanocavity Thermocycler for Direct Real-Time Reverse Transcription PCR at a Point-of-Care Level.ACS applied materials & interfaces · 2026Article
- Viral Infection-Inspired Autonomous Detection of Fusion-Competent Viruses for Screening and Environmental Surveillance.Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) · 2026Article
- Micromotor-assisted graphene field-effect transistor for label-free and ultrasensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 in complex matrices.Mikrochimica acta · 2026Article
- Towards deployable CRISPR-based nucleic acid detection.Progress in biomedical engineering (Bristol, England) · 2026Review
- Simultaneous detection of SARS-CoV-2 proteins and nucleic acids by coupling PNIPAM with circle-to-circle amplification.Analytical sciences : the international journal of the Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry · 2026Article
- Intelligent microfluidic device for multiplex detection and prompt warning of upper and lower respiratory tract infections.Journal of advanced research · 2026Article
- Comparative Evaluation of Rapid Nucleic Acids Extraction Methods for Biosensor-Based Point-of-Care Solutions.Biosensors · 2026Article
- Development of a Platform forAerosol science and technology : the journal of the American Association for Aerosol Research · 2026Article
- Clinical metagenomics for diagnosis and surveillance of viral pathogens.Nature reviews. Microbiology · 2026Review
- Universal Regulation of DNA Polymerase via Photocaged Primer Enables Light-Start Isothermal Amplification on Demand.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- Towards practical point-of-care quick, ubiquitous, integrated, cost-efficient molecular diagnostic Kit (QUICK) PCR for future pandemic response.Microsystems & nanoengineering · 2025Review
- PyPlaque is an open-source python package for phenotypic analysis of virus plaque assays.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Preclinical Evaluation of the Efficacy of α-Difluoromethylornithine and Sulindac Against SARS-CoV-2 Infection.Viruses · 2025Article
- A review on the mechanism and potential diagnostic application of CRISPR/Cas13a system.Mammalian genome : official journal of the International Mammalian Genome Society · 2025Review
- Ultra-fast, palm-sized platform for visual point-of-care virus detection using convective PCR with gold nanoparticle probes.Mikrochimica acta · 2025Article
- Cas12a Cis-cleavage mediated lateral flow assay enables multiplex and ultra-specific nucleic acid detection.Nature communications · 2025Article
195 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
13 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is commonly diagnosed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect viral RNA in patient samples, but RNA extraction constitutes a major bottleneck in current testing. Methodological simplification could increase diagnostic availability and efficiency, benefitting patient care and infection control. Here, we describe methods circumventing RNA extraction in COVID-19 testing by performing RT-PCR directly on heat-inactivated or lysed samples. Our data, including benchmarking using 597 clinical patient samples and a standardised diagnostic system, demonstrate that direct RT-PCR is viable option to extraction-based tests. Using controlled amounts of active SARS-CoV-2, we confirm effectiveness of heat inactivation by plaque assay and evaluate various generic buffers as transport medium for direct RT-PCR. Significant savings in time and cost are achieved through RNA-extraction-free protocols that are directly compatible with established PCR-based testing pipelines. This could aid expansion of COVID-19 testing.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.