Amplicon residues in research laboratories masquerade as COVID-19 in surveillance tests

Dan Davidi; Susan Fitzgerald; Hannah L Glaspell; Samantha Jalbert; Catherine M Klapperich; Lena Landaverde; Stylianos Maheras; Stephanie E Mattoon; Vanessa M Britto; Giang T Nguyen; Judy T Platt; Kayla Kuhfeldt; Hannah Landsberg; Cecilia W Stuopis; Joshua E Turse; Davidson H Hamer; Michael Springer

doi:10.1016/j.crmeth.2021.100005

Amplicon residues in research laboratories masquerade as COVID-19 in surveillance tests

Cell Rep Methods. 2021 May 24;1(1):100005. doi: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2021.100005. Epub 2021 Apr 2.

Authors

Dan Davidi¹, Susan Fitzgerald², Hannah L Glaspell³, Samantha Jalbert⁴, Catherine M Klapperich⁵, Lena Landaverde⁵, Stylianos Maheras², Stephanie E Mattoon³, Vanessa M Britto⁶, Giang T Nguyen^{2

7}, Judy T Platt⁸, Kayla Kuhfeldt⁸, Hannah Landsberg⁸, Cecilia W Stuopis⁹, Joshua E Turse³, Davidson H Hamer^{10

11

12}, Michael Springer⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
² Harvard University Health Services, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
³ Biological Safety, Environment, Health and Safety, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY USA.
⁴ Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
⁵ Department of Biomedical Engineering and Precision Diagnostics Center, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215.
⁶ Department of Medicine/University Health Services, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
⁷ Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
⁸ Student Health Services, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
⁹ MIT Medical, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
¹¹ Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
¹² National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.

Abstract

Asymptomatic surveillance testing together with COVID-19-related research can lead to positive SARS-CoV-2 tests resulting not from true infections, but non-infectious, non-hazardous by-products of research (amplicons). Amplicons can be widespread and persistent in lab environments and can be difficult to distinguish for true infections. We discuss prevention and mitigation strategies.

Publication types

Introductory Journal Article
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

COVID-19 Testing
COVID-19* / diagnosis
Humans
Laboratories
SARS-CoV-2 / genetics

Grants and funding

R01 GM120122/GM/NIGMS NIH HHS/United States