Clinical evaluation of the molecular-based BD SARS-CoV-2/Flu for the BD MAX™ system.

Abstract

BackgroundCOVID-19 and influenza (flu) share similar clinical symptoms. Therefore, differential detection of these viruses during the respiratory virus season will be an important component for proper patient triage, management, and treatment.ObjectivesEstablish the diagnostic performance related to SARS-CoV-2 and Flu A/B detection for the BD SARS-CoV-2/Flu for BD MAX™ System (“MAX SARS-CoV-2/Flu”) multiplex assay.Materials and methodsTwo hundred and thirty-five (235) retrospective nasopharyngeal specimens were obtained from external vendors. The BD BioGx SARS-CoV-2 Reagents for BD MAX™ System (“BioGx SARS-CoV-2″) and the Cepheid Xpert® Xpress Flu/RSV (“Xpert Flu/RSV”) were utilized as reference methods.ResultsBy reference methods, 52 specimens were SARS-CoV-2-positive, 59 were Flu A-positive, and 60 were Flu B-positive. MAX SARS-CoV-2/Flu had positive percent agreement (PPA) and negative percent agreement (NPA) values for SARS-CoV-2 detection of 96.2% ([95%CI]:87.0–98.9) and 100% [95%CI:88.7–100], respectively; PPA values for Flu A and Flu B of 100% [95%CI:93.9–100] and 98.3% [95%CI:91.1–99.7], respectively, and NPA values for Flu A and Flu B of 98.9% [95%CI:94.0–99.8] and 100% [95%CI:95.9–100], respectively.ConclusionsThe MAX SARS-CoV-2/Flu assay met FDA-EUA performance criteria for SARS-CoV-2 (≥95% for PPA and NPA) and FDA clearance criteria for Flu A/B (PPA ≥90%; lower bound of the 95%CI ≥80% and NPA ≥95%; lower bound of the 95%CI ≥90%).