Development of a SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR Based Variant-Comprehensive Testing Kit Panel

The acute respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), first emerged in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, leading to a global pandemic of unprecedented scale. SARS-CoV-2 is highly contagious, and the vast majority of the population is susceptible to infection. Consequently, diagnostic testing forms the cornerstone of detection and response capabilities. Experts in the field concur that Reverse Transcription Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) testing is of critical importance in controlling Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Nevertheless, in combating a viral pandemic spreading at such a rapid global pace, providing rapid, sensitive, and reliable results through clinically referenced diagnostic and screening tests remains a significant challenge. Furthermore, the core of an effective pandemic response lies in identifying the maximum number of cases within the shortest possible timeframe and determining the viral prevalence across the population within the broadest planned framework. In this context, it is imperative to develop diagnostic kits that provide accurate and definitive results in a minimal duration while ensuring optimal reagent consumption. This project aims to develop an RT-PCR-based molecular testing kit designed to detect the disease and its variants. The proposed kit is intended to be resilient against diagnostic challenges arising from potential SARS-CoV-2 mutations, providing secure and rapid results through its high-sensitivity detection capabilities.