>As well as sequencing the whole genome of coronavirus 2019-nCoV, the Institut Pasteur continued to work on the samples taken from the first confirmed cases. The quality of these initial samples enabled rapid cell-culture isolation of the new virus. The Institut Pasteur's scientists now have access to the virus responsible for the infection. The isolation of the virus paves the way for new diagnostic, therapeutic and prophylactic approaches.
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To guarantee the performance of the test under development, scientists employed a system able to detect whether the three sequences used to recognize SARS-CoV-2 were present in other living organisms. With regard to the RT-PCR tests developed by the National Reference Center, the three sequences are not present simultaneously in any other organisms apart from SARS-CoV-2.
The test is then validated on primary samples (confirmed as positive and negative) to verify its specificity and sensitivity (no false positives or false negatives). Negative controls (here for example nose or throat samples taken before 2019) can help assess the risk of non-specific amplification.
Finally, it is advisable to use two different tests (the two tests developed by the CNR at the Institut Pasteur are named IP2 and IP4) on the same sample to guarantee the reliability of the result. This means that six sequences of the viral genome, rather than three, need to be recognized and amplified, thereby increasing the reliability of RT-PCR testing.
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