Verification of the Abbott Alinity m Resp-4-Plex Assay for detection of SARS-CoV-2, influenza A/B, and respiratory syncytial virus

Cheng, A.; Riedel, S.; Arnaout, R.; Kirby, J. E.

COVID-19 symptomology may overlap with those of other circulating respiratory virus. In the future, hospital epidemiology will be focused on viruses with the potential for causation of severe disease, and there will be additional need for detection of respiratory viruses with potential sequelae for which there are specific and potential life-saving treatments. Therefore, there will be increasing need for multiplex respiratory assays to detection such virus. The Abbott Alinity m Resp-4-Plex assay is a multiplex PCR assay that simultaneously detects and differentiates infection with SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, influenza B, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Based on perceived assay utility, we characterized the new assay in a series of validation studies to characterize its accuracy, precision, and analytical sensitivity. All were found to be robust within the measures examined. In the context of sample-to-answer, near random access automation on the Alinity m platform, we believe that the Resp-4-Plex assay offers significant utility in addressing the needs of the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and especially in the future with anticipated endemic circulation of SARS-CoV-2 with other respiratory viruses.