Simultaneous Detection and Differentiation of SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A/B, and Respiratory Syncytial Viruses in Respiratory Specimens Using the VitaSIRO solo™ SARS-CoV-2/Flu/RSV Assay
<b>Background/Objectives:</b> The concurrent circulation of SARS-CoV-2 with influenza A and B viruses and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) represents a new diagnostic challenge in the post-COVID-19 area, especially considering that these infections have overlapping clinical presentations but different approaches to treatment and management. Multiplexed molecular testing on point-of-care platforms that focus on the simultaneous detection of multiple respiratory viruses in a single tube constitutes a useful approach for diagnosis of respiratory infections in decentralized clinical settings. This study evaluated the analytical performances of the VitaSIRO <i>solo</i>™ SARS-CoV-2/Flu/RSV Assay performed on the VitaSIRO <i>solo</i>™ Instrument (Credo Diagnostics Biomedical Pte. Ltd., Singapore, Republic of Singapore). <b>Methods:</b> With a view to accreditation, the criteria of the 2022-revised EN ISO 15189:2022 norma were applied for the retrospective on-site verification of method using anonymized respiratory specimens collected during the last 2024-2025 autumn-winter season in France. <b>Results:</b> Usability and satisfaction were comparable to current reference point-of-care platforms, such as the Cepheid GeneXpert<sup>®</sup> Xpress System (Cepheid Diagnostics, Sunnyvale, CA, USA). Repeatability and reproducibility (2.34-4.49% and 2.78-5.71%, respectively) demonstrated a high level of precision. The platform exhibited a low invalid rate (2.9%), with most resolving on retesting. Analytical performance on 301 clinical samples showed high overall sensitivities: 94.8% for SARS-CoV-2 (Ct ≤ 33), 95.8% for influenza A and B viruses, 95.2% for RSV, and 95.4% for all viruses. Specificities were consistently high (99.2-100.0%). False negatives (2.6%) were predominantly associated with high Ct values. Agreement with the comparator reference NeuMoDx™ Flu A-B/RSV/SARS-CoV-2 Vantage Assay (Qiagen GmbH, Hilden, Germany) was almost perfect (Cohen's κ 0.939-0.974), and a total of 91.1%, 94.8%, and 100.0% of Ct values were within the 95% limits of agreement for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, influenza A and B viruses, and RSV, respectively, by Bland-Altman analyses. Passing-Bablok regression analyses demonstrated good Ct values correlation between VitaSIRO <i>solo</i>™ and NeuMoDx™ assays, with a slight, non-significant, positive bias for the VitaSIRO <i>solo</i>™ assay (mean absolute bias +0.509 to +0.898). <b>Conclusions:</b> These findings support VitaSIRO <i>solo</i>™ Instrument as a user-friendly and reliable point-of-care platform for the rapid detection and differentiation of SARS-CoV-2, influenza A and B viruses, and RSV responding to the EN ISO 15189:2022 criteria for accreditation to be implemented in hospital or decentralized settings.
Authors
- Ralph‐Sydney Mboumba Bouassa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3956-6189)
- Laurent Bélec (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3950-2513)
- Sarah Lukumbisa
Institutions
- Délégation Paris 5 (FR)
- University of Ottawa (CA)
- Université Paris-Est Créteil (FR)
- Université Paris Cité (FR)
- Montfort Hospital (CA)
- Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (FR)
- Hôpital Européen Georges-Pompidou (FR)
- Hôpital Européen (FR)
- Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (GA)
- Institut du Savoir Montfort (CA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Diagnostics
- Published
- 2025-09-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15172249
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Respiratory viral infections research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.35