Evaluation of Rapid Lateral-Flow Tests Directed against the SARS-CoV-2 Nucleoprotein Using Viral Suspensions Belonging to Different Lineages of SARS-CoV-2.

Within the successive waves that occurred during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, recommendations arose to test symptomatic and contact subjects by using rapid antigen devices directed against the viral nucleocapsid protein with the aim to isolate contagious patients without delay. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of four rapid lateral-flow tests (RLFT) that were commercially available on the French market in 2022 to recognize various strains of SARS-CoV-2. Series of five-fold dilutions of seven viral suspensions belonging to different lineages of SARS-CoV-2 (19A, 20A, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron) were used to evaluate the analytical sensitivity of four commercially available RLFTs (manufacturers: Abbott, AAZ, Becton-Dickinson and Biospeedia).

Management of COVID-19 on board the mixed cargo ship Aranui 5.

Background: During cruises, the management of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections poses serious organizational problems such as those encountered in 2020 by the Zaandam, the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle or the Diamond Princess. In French Polynesia, the mixed cargo ship Aranui 5 transports both tourists and freight to the Marquesas Islands. The purpose of this article is to show how COVID-19 infections were diagnosed and contained before and after passengers boarded a cruise.

A longitudinal study of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients reveals a high correlation between neutralizing antibodies and COVID-19 severity.

Understanding the immune responses elicited by SARS-CoV-2 infection is critical in terms of protection against reinfection and, thus, for public health policy and vaccine development for COVID-19. In this study, using either live SARS-CoV-2 particles or retroviruses pseudotyped with the SARS-CoV-2 S viral surface protein (Spike), we studied the neutralizing antibody (nAb) response in serum samples from a cohort of 140 SARS-CoV-2 qPCR-confirmed infections, including patients with mild symptoms and also more severe forms, including those that required intensive care. We show that nAb titers correlated strongly with disease severity and with anti-spike IgG levels.

Performance of the COVID19SEROSpeed IgM/IgG Rapid Test, an Immunochromatographic Assay for the Diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: a Multicenter European Study.

This study assessed the diagnostic performance of the new COVID19SEROSpeed IgM/IgG rapid test (BioSpeedia, a spinoff of the Pasteur Institute of Paris) for the detection of antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in comparison to other commercial antibody assays through a large cross-European investigation. The clinical specificity was assessed on 215 prepandemic sera (including some from patients with viral infections or autoimmune disorders). The clinical sensitivity was evaluated on 710 sera from 564 patients whose SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) and whose antibody response was compared to that measured by five other commercial tests.

Tick-Borne Encephalitis in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, France, 2017-2018.

Three autochthonous cases of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) acquired in rural areas of France where Lyme borreliosis, but not TBE, is endemic highlight the emergence of TBE in new areas. For patients with neurologic involvement who have been in regions where Ixodes ticks circulate, clinicians should test for TBE virus and other tickborne viruses.

The variable sensitivity of HIV Ag/Ab combination assays in the detection of p24Ag according to genotype could compromise the diagnosis of early HIV infection.

Background: In France, HIV infection diagnosis was modified by a decree, published in 2010, that requires the use of HIV Ag/Ab assays able to detect at least 2 IU/ml of p24Ag. This measure raises the concern of the capacity of these assays to equally detect all HIV variants.

Objectives: To assess the performance of HIV Ag/Ab assays for the detection of p24Ag from diverse HIV isolates.

Clinical performance of the carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) assay by the Sebia Capillarys2 system in case of cirrhosis. Interest of the Bio-Rad %CDT by HPLC test and Siemens N-Latex CDT kit as putative confirmatory methods.

Background: The CDT assay used to detect chronic alcohol abuse is difficult with cirrhotic patients. This article describes the performances of several CDT assays in case of cirrhosis. The CDT-Capillarys assay by capillary zone electrophoresis was used for initial testing.

Sensitivities of four new commercial hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) assays in detection of HBsAg mutant forms.

Mutations in hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) involving amino acid substitution within the immunodominant "a" determinant may affect the performance of commercial HBsAg assays. The performances of four HBsAg assays that recently received Conformité Européene marking, Advia Centaur HBsAg (Bayer), Monolisa HBsAg Ultra (Bio-Rad), Liaison HBsAg (Dia Sorin), and Vidas HBsAg Ultra (bioMérieux), were compared with that of the routinely used HBsAg assay AxSYM HBsAg V2 (Abbott). Assays were evaluated for (i) analytical sensitivity performance with a national reference HBsAg panel (including 10 samples with calibrated HBsAg concentrations from 0.