SARS-CoV-2 saliva testing is a useful tool for Covid-19 diagnosis.

SARS-CoV-2 is the etiologic agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and is mainly detected by RT-PCR methods from upper respiratory specimens, as recommended by the World Health Organization. Oro/nasopharyngeal swabbing can be discomfortable to the patients, requires trained healthcare personnel and may generate aerosol, increasing the risk of nosocomial infections. In this study, we describe two SARS-CoV-2 RNA extraction-free single RT-PCR protocols on saliva samples and compared the results with the paired oro/nasopharyngeal swab specimens from 400 patients.

Performance evaluation of the fully automated molecular system Alinity m in a high-throughput central laboratory.

Background: New partially or fully automated molecular diagnostic testing platforms are being developed to address the growing demand for fast, accurate, and cost-effective testing.

Objectives: To evaluate the analytical and clinical performance of the Alinity m system compared to the Abbott RealTime m2000 assay system in a large central molecular laboratory.

Study Design: Alinity m HIV-1, HCV, and HBV assay precision, reproducibility, and sensitivity were assessed using commercial customized dilution panels.

Local Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Lineage B.1.1.7, Brazil, December 2020.

In December 2020, research surveillance detected the B.1.1.

External Quality Assessment for Zika Virus Molecular Diagnostic Testing, Brazil.

We conducted an external quality assessment of Zika virus molecular diagnostic tests in Brazil using a new Zika virus standard. Of 15 laboratories, 73% showed limited sensitivity and specificity. Viral load estimates varied significantly.

Exome Sequencing Identifies a Novel Nonsense Mutation of MYO6 as the Cause of Deafness in a Brazilian Family.

We investigated 313 unrelated subjects who presented with hearing loss to identify the novel genetic causes of this condition in Brazil. Causative GJB2/GJB6 mutations were found in 12.7% of the patients.