A comparison between GeneXpert testing and the Berlin-Charité diagnostic
protocol for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in a cohort of Mexican
patients.
Abstract
Since the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic healthcare professionals
have found it necessary to generate diagnostic methods for the disease
that are easy to use, reliable, and accessible. The Berlin-Charité
protocol has been one of the most recommended methods for detecting
SARS-CoV-2 from the onset of the pandemic. However, new diagnostic
techniques such as GeneXpert have been developed and proven to be
efficient, fast, and easy to use to detect infected patients. The
purpose of this study, conducted at the National Institute for
Respiratory Diseases in Mexico, was to compare the diagnostic
performance of the Berlin-Charité protocol and GeneXpert for the
detection of SARS-CoV-2, evaluating a cohort of 135 Mexican patients.
For statistical analysis, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive
value, negative predictive value, and likelihood ratios for each assay
were calculated. The diagnostic parameters for GeneXpert were found to
be 100% in both sensitivity and specificity. The Berlin-Charité
protocol performance had a sensitivity of 72% and specificity of 100%.
With this study, it can be concluded that the diagnosis of SARS-Cov_2
infection through GeneXpert was 29% more specific than the Berlin
protocol.