Performance evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 rapid diagnostic tests in Nigeria: A cross-sectional study.

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged health systems globally. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the gold standard for detecting the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in clinical samples. Rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kits for COVID-19 have been widely used in Nigeria.

Pooling sputum samples for Xpert® MTB/RIF and Xpert® Ultra testing for TB diagnosis.

Background: The use of molecular amplification as-says for TB diagnosis is limited by their costs and cartridge stocks. Pooling multiple samples to test them together is reported to have similar accuracy to individual testing and to save costs.

Methods: Two surveys of individuals with presumptive TB were conducted to assess the performance of pooled testing using Xpert® MTB/RIF (MTB/RIF) and Xpert® Ultra (Ultra).