COVID-19 Surveillance
COVID-19 surveillance is needed to better inform public health decisions. Standing in the way of these efforts are large sample numbers, supply shortages, and complex samples types. Researchers need to detect SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, study seroprevalence across a population to better understand local infection rates, and characterizer how new SARS-CoV-2 variants spread over time in different populations. Bio-Rad offers several solutions to address the needs of scientists studying COVID-19. Droplet digital PCR is ideal for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. Multiplex immunoassays measure anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in a population. Both real-time PCR and ddPCR can monitor the variant sequences of SARS-CoV-2 in the population.
Wastewater Testing for SARS-CoV-2
Wastewater testing can be used to detect SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA shed in the stool of symptomatic and asymptomatic infected individuals, providing near real-time surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 viral spread at the community level. Wastewater testing provides a more complete snapshot of community spread than clinical testing and can serve as an early warning system for COVID-19 outbreaks.
High levels of PCR inhibitors combined with low levels of virus complicate testing wastewater with traditional nucleic acid tests. Bio-Rad’s ddPCR technology is being used to predict and prevent COVID-19 community outbreaks.
COVID-19 Public Health Studies
Surveying the seroprevalence of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus is key to understanding local infection and exposure rates in specific areas or institutions. Because some people are asymptomatic and may not know they have been infected, population studies are crucial in modeling transmission in the COVID-19 pandemic.
For research use only, Bio-Plex SARS-CoV-2 Serology Assays provide flexible options to measure anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in a population.
SARS-CoV-2 Variant Surveillance
SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, and its genetic variations have led to the emergence of new variants circulating globally, with different characteristics. Scientists study these variants to better understand how easily they can be transmitted and the effectiveness of current vaccines against them.
Using ddPCR, real-time RT-PCR, and genome sequencing, scientists can identify the SARS-CoV-2 sequence and monitor how it changes over time in different populations.
Learn More About SARS-CoV-2 Variant Surveillance »
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