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Volume 26, Number 10—October 2020
Synopsis

Nationwide External Quality Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 Molecular Testing, South Korea

Heungsup Sung1Comments to Author , Myung-Guk Han, Cheon-Kwon Yoo, Sang-Won Lee, Yoon-Seok Chung, Jae-Sun Park, Mi-Na Kim, Hyukmin Lee, Ki Ho Hong, Moon-Woo Seong, Kyunghoon Lee, Sail Chun, Wee Gyo Lee, Gye-Cheol Kwon, and Won-Ki Min1Comments to Author 
Author affiliations: University of Ulsan College of Medicine and Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea (H. Sung, M.-N. Kim, S. Chun, W.K. Min); Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea (M.-G. Han, C.-K. Yoo, S.-W. Lee, Y.-S. Chung, J.-S. Park); Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (H. Lee); Seoul Medical Center, Seoul (K.-H. Hong); Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (M.-W. Seong, K. Lee); Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea (W.G. Lee); Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea (G.-C. Kwon)

Main Article

Table 1

Test results for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 RdRp gene obtained from the proficiency test provider (expected value), Asan Medical Center, Seoul, and from participating laboratories according to the reagent used, South Korea, March 23–27, 2020*

Sample no. Dilution PowerChek
 Allplex
 Standard M, N = 6 Laboratory-developed test, N = 5 Real-Q, N = 1
Expected value Participating laboratories, N = 67 Expected value Participating laboratories, N = 38†
41 1:2 × 105 33.60 33.64 + 1.73 34.37 34.64 + 2.23‡ 30.38 (29.44–35.46)§ 34.32 (32.57–34.62) 38.27
42 1:2 × 102 24.62 24.16 + 1.68 25.67 26.29 + 2.34 21.28 (19.98–27.54) 25.94 (23.28–28.07) 24.06
43 1:2 × 104 30.73 30.60 + 1.45 31.34 32.05 + 2.43¶ 27.49 (26.79–33.39) 31.66 (30.01–32.83) 30.54
45 1:2 × 103 27.69 27.71 + 1.66 28.73 29.40 + 2.51# 24.67 (23.51–31·21) 28.12 (26.77–29.05) 27.31
46 1:2 × 103 24.82 25.61 + 0.76 26.12 26.07 + 1.11 22.18 (21.50–23.46) 27.78 (25.74–28.49) 26.61
48 1:2 × 102 21.27 22.06 + 0.85 22.49 22.41 + 1.06 19.06 (17.20–19.86) 24.07 (22.04–25.02) 22.96
49 1:2 × 105 32.14 32.57 + 0.96 32.55 32.35 + 1.13 29.36 (27.49–30.02) 34.39 (32.18–35.42) 33.36
50 1:2 × 104 28.58 29.19 + 0.83 29.45 29.32 + 1.10 25.82 (24.20–27.01) 31.29 (29.38–32.40) 29.21

*Cycle threshold values are shown. Mean + SD is shown for the results obtained by using the PowerChek 2019-nCoV and Allplex 2019-nCoV kits. Median and range are shown for the results obtained by using the Standard M nCoV-Detection and laboratory-developed tests.
†For nCoV-20–41−45, the number of laboratories was 37.
‡Calculated after exclusion of negative results from 9 laboratories.
§Calculated after exclusion of negative results from 1 laboratory.
¶Calculated after exclusion of negative results from 3 laboratories.
#Calculated after exclusion of negative results from 1 laboratory.

Main Article

1These authors contributed equally to this article.

Page created: July 14, 2020
Page updated: September 17, 2020
Page reviewed: September 17, 2020
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