As the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic keep tackling global public health systems worldwide, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) genome keeps mutating.

Multiple persistent variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been documented globally during this pandemic: the United Kingdom (UK) identified a variant called B.1.1.7; in South Africa, another variant called B.1.351 was identified; in Brazil, a variant called P.1 emerged. One point of concern is that if this lineage can be detected by traditional molecular schemes for SARS-CoV-2 detection.

Generon is making all efforts to continue to monitor SARS-CoV-2 genomes databases for potential variants that can impair VETfinder diagnostic testing and lead to false negative results.

To date, our in-silico analysis (performed using sequences deposited in https://www.gisaid.org/hcov19-variants/) shows that the above-mentioned variants do not affect neither VETfinder RdRp and E-gene detection kits (based on Berlin-Charitè protocol) nor the VETfinder N-gene detection kit (based on CDC protocol).

For more information fill out the contact form!