Validation of a Lysis Buffer Containing 4 M Guanidinium Thiocyanate (GITC)/ Triton X-100 for Extraction of SARS-CoV-2 RNA for COVID-19 Testing: Comparison of Formulated Lysis Buffers Containing 4 to 6 M GITC, Roche External Lysis Buffer and Qiagen RTL Lysis Buffer

Martina F Scallan; Catherine Dempsey; John MacSharry; Isabelle O'Callaghan; Paula M O'Connor; Conor P Hogan; Edel Durack; Paul D. Cotter; Sarah Hudson; Humphrey A Moynihan; Brigid Lucey

Normally, hospital laboratories buy in reagents that allow them to concentrate on the business of diagnosis of patients and the preparation of their own reagents is rare. However, a matter of particular concern was the unexpected short supply of one reagent (lysis buffer) needed to lyse the virus causing COVID-19, to facilitate RNA extractions and subsequent detection. In straitened times, society needs to pool its resources and expertise to best impact and this case study and validation represents a generous and rapid response from the scientific community, when called upon by the Academy of Clinical and Laboratory Medicine, at a time when large international commercial companies were unable to supply this vital reagent.