ArticleCureus2025
Optimizing SARS-CoV-2 Detection: A Rapid, Cost-Effective Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) Method Without RNA Extraction.
Article in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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.
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction In December 2019, the emergence of a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, led to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Early diagnostic efforts included molecular tests such as reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). However, testing faced challenges including RNA reagent shortages and prolonged processing times. Antigen card tests, though reliable for positive results, had limitations. Tata MD CHECK RT-PCR XF emerged as a versatile diagnostic assay, capable of detecting SARS-CoV-2 with or without RNA extraction. This facilitated efficient testing amid ongoing resource constraints. This study was planned to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the Tata MD CHECK RT-PCR XF kit, a direct RT-PCR assay that eliminates the RNA extraction step, with conventional RT-PCR incorporating RNA extraction for detecting SARS-CoV-2 RNA. The direct RT-PCR approach demonstrated a sensitivity of 93.9%, closely aligning with conventional RT-PCR results, and showed comparable performance in lower Ct ranges (0-30), though reduced detection was observed at higher Ct values. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, Santosh Medical College, Ghaziabad. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal samples were collected in viral transport media (VTM). Samples were processed in duplicate: one underwent RNA extraction, while the other was directly tested, without RNA extraction, using the Tata MD CHECK RT-PCR XF kit. Results A total of 110 samples were evaluated, with 62.7% from males and 37.3% from females, primarily in the 21-40 age group. The Tata MD Direct PCR demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy, with a sensitivity of 93.9%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 100%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 84.4%. Discussion This cost-effective and rapid method significantly reduced turnaround times compared to conventional RT-PCR.
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