GERMANTOWN, Md. & HILDEN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) today announced its polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests remain accurate and effective in detecting SARS-CoV-2 infections – and will continue to closely monitor their performance as global concerns mount regarding the detection of new viral variants by established testing methods.

QIAGEN has successfully assessed its SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests against genetic mutations of the virus uploaded to the GISAID and GenBank public databases since May 2020. A latest round of assessments conducted in January 2021 again confirmed that no recorded mutations affected the sensitivity of QIAGEN assays for detection of SARS-CoV-2. Surveillance of genetic variations will continue on a biweekly basis.

“We are pleased to report the known viral variants have had no impact on the effectiveness of our three SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests – PCR remains the gold standard for detecting RNA viruses like SARS-CoV-2,” said Davide Manissero, M.D., Chief Medical Officer - Infection and Immune Diagnostics at QIAGEN. “Further genomic sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 samples worldwide will vastly increase transparency and help us identify and respond to potentially dangerous mutations of the virus, while at the same time broadening the database we can use to verify if vaccines and tests continue to be effective.”

Variants with potentially increased transmissibility include VUI 202012/01 (first detected in the United Kingdom), 501Y.V2 (identified in South Africa), and B.1.1.28 P1 (most recently discovered in Brazil). As a virus encoded by RNA nucleotides, SARS-CoV-2 frequently mutates due to erroneous or ineffective replication of the virus genome. These mutations can sometimes produce viruses with altered properties or even entirely new strains.

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Additional Information regarding QIAGEN’s efforts against SARS-CoV-2 can be found here

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