Co-Diagnostics Inc., a Salt Lake City molecular diagnostics company that was early-to-market with tests to detect the COVID-19 virus, has reported that none of the mutations of coronavirus discovered in Africa are predicted to interfere with any of the company’s suite of PCR diagnostic assays.
The new coronavirus strain includes more than 50 mutations, over 30 of which are found on the virus’s spike protein, the main target of the body’s immune responses, and is currently being studied to determine whether the mutations lead to increased transmissibility or ability to evade the body’s immune response. As countries moved to suspend flights from South Africa and other African countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) convened a special meeting on Nov. 26 to discuss what the new variant of concern, designated “omicron” by the WHO, could mean for vaccines and treatments.
Co-Diagnostics successfully assessed the effectiveness of its existing line of COVID-19 PCR diagnostics against the omicron variant using publicly available sequencing data and continues to monitor the performance of its tests as new variants are discovered.
“We are pleased to report that none of the over 50 mutations in this new variant are close enough to the targets of any of our COVID-19 diagnostics to interfere with their performance,” said Dwight Egan, CEO of Co-Diagnostics. “This includes our original Logix Smart COVID-19 assay, first developed in the early days of news about the novel coronavirus being discovered in China, our SARS-CoV-2 2-gene test, our ABC (flu A/flu B/COVID-19) multiplex assay, our COVID-19 extraction-free direct saliva test or the test currently in development to be run on our upcoming at-home/point-of-care device.”
