What is the role of nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) in the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and what are the best means of collecting samples?
Role of NAAT in COVID-19 Diagnosis Authorities recommend Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) for the diagnosis of COVID-19. This viral diagnostic test can be performed in laboratory settings, healthcare centers and even at home. NAAT diagnose COVID-19 by detecting the sequences of RNA in the genetic material of virus. The methods employed by NAAT to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus include; • Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) • Isothermal amplification including: o Nicking Endonuclease Amplification Reaction (NEAR) o Helicase-dependent Amplification (HDA) o Transcription Mediated Amplification (TMA) o Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) o Strand Displacement Amplification (SDA) o Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) o Strand Displacement Amplification (SDA) CDC recommends NAAT only under laboratory settings because of they are considered the most sensitive tests. Specimens for NAAT CDC does not recommend oral specimens for NAAT. The recommended specimens include nasopharyngeal swabs, anterior nasal swabs and nasal mid-turbinate swabs.