Detection of SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86 by lateral flow devices

Abbie Bown; Angela Sweed; Matthew Catton; Joshua Nelthorpe-Cowne; Hermione Conti-Frith; Ruth Elderfield; Jacob Terrey; Hamsa Abib; Caleb Lui; Ella Fisher; Kevin R Bewley; Naomi S Coombes; Donna Robinson; Somya Agrawal; Bassam Hallis; Edward Blandford; Tom Fowler; Deborah A Williamson; Richard Vipond

doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2023.12.010

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86 by lateral flow devices

Int J Infect Dis. 2024 Feb:139:168-170. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2023.12.010. Epub 2023 Dec 25.

Authors

Abbie Bown¹, Angela Sweed², Matthew Catton², Joshua Nelthorpe-Cowne², Hermione Conti-Frith², Ruth Elderfield², Jacob Terrey², Hamsa Abib², Caleb Lui², Ella Fisher², Kevin R Bewley³, Naomi S Coombes³, Donna Robinson⁴, Somya Agrawal⁴, Bassam Hallis³, Edward Blandford⁵, Tom Fowler⁵, Deborah A Williamson⁶, Richard Vipond²

Affiliations

¹ Diagnostic Evaluation and Innovation Group, Diagnostics and Pathogen Characterisation Division, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UK. Electronic address: abbie.bown@ukhsa.gov.uk.
² Diagnostic Evaluation and Innovation Group, Diagnostics and Pathogen Characterisation Division, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UK.
³ Vaccine Development and Evaluation Preparedness Division, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UK.
⁴ Product and Delivery, UK Health Security Agency, UK.
⁵ Public Health and Clinical Oversight, Clinical and Public Health Division, UK Health Security Agency, UK.
⁶ Specialist Microbiology and Laboratories, UK Health Security Agency, UK.

PMID: 38151115
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2023.12.010

Abstract

We evaluated the performance of 12 lateral flow devices by assessing their analytical sensitivity for SARS-CoV-2 variant BA.2.86. Kits from ACON, Orient Gene, Xiamen Biotime, Getein, and SureScreen detected variant BA.2.86 to sufficient sensitivity levels, comparable to those observed with previous Omicron variants. The stocks of lateral flow devices currently held by the UK government do not currently need changing for deployment for this variant.

Keywords: BA.2.86; LFD; SARS-COV-2; lateral flow device.

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Government
Humans
SARS-CoV-2

Supplementary concepts

SARS-CoV-2 variants