Rapid and accurate detection of respiratory pathogens using a field-deployable POCT system based on multiplex real-time PCR.

Rapid and accurate diagnostic methods are needed to help clinicians make faster and better treatment decision for patients suffered from respiratory infections. In the present study, a newly designed multiplex real-time PCR panel based on a field-deployable POCT system was developed for the simultaneous detecting of 14 respiratory pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, influenza A virus, influenza B virus, human respiratory syncytial virus, human rhinovirus, human adenovirus, human metapneumovirus, streptococcus pneumonia, klebsiella pneumoniae, bordetella pertussis, haemophilus influenzae, legionella pneumophila, mycoplasma pneumonia, and chlamydophila pneumoniae. The amplification could complete in 30 minutes with high specificity, reproducibility and anti-influence ability. The lower limit of detection of the system for most of the respiratory pathogens tested was 103 copies/ml. During clinical evaluation, the positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), positive percent agreement (PPA), negative percent agreement (NPA), and Total accuracy of the system was 100 %, 94.92 %, 93.62 %, 100 %, and 97.09 %, respectively, with a Kappa value of 0.94, indicating high reliability of the new system. In conclusion, the system could provide a valuable platform for the rapid and reliable diagnosis of these pathogens and have important implications both for clinicians and public health policy-makers.