In a recent multi-site diagnostic study, Dr. Patrick Dennis of DelRicht Research at Touro Medical Center in New Orleans, LA, contributed to the evaluation of the Abbott ID NOW™ COVID-19 2.0 assay, a rapid molecular point-of-care (POC) test designed to detect SARS-CoV-2 quickly and accurately in symptomatic patients.

Meeting the Need for Speed in Diagnostics

While real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (rRT-PCR) remains the reference standard for diagnosing COVID-19, it often requires centralized lab processing, making it slower and less accessible in urgent or resource-limited settings. The Abbott ID NOW™ COVID-19 2.0 test addresses this gap by offering accurate molecular results in 12 minutes or less directly at the point of care.

Study Design and Participant Outcomes

The prospective study enrolled 3,530 subjects, with 3,146 evaluable cases. Among symptomatic participants (n = 914), the ID NOW™ assay showed a positive percent agreement (PPA) of 91.7% and a negative percent agreement (NPA) of 98.4% compared to three widely used RT-PCR assays: Hologic Panther Fusion, Roche Cobas, and the CDC 2019-nCoV Diagnostic Panel.

Performance improved even further in cases with lower cycle threshold (Ct) values, indicating higher viral loads. Notably:

– PPA was 94.7% for Ct ≤36
– 97.6% for Ct ≤33
– 99.4% for Ct ≤30

This makes the test especially effective for identifying the most contagious patients quickly, allowing for timely isolation and treatment.

Understanding Diagnostic Variability

Interestingly, the study also revealed variability among the reference RT-PCR methods themselves. In 1,630 cases where all three assays were compared:

The CDC test produced 144 discordant results with Roche and 119 with Panther Roche and Panther differed in 67 cases

These differences underscore the diagnostic complexity in real-world settings and reinforce the value of accessible tools like Abbott’s ID NOW™, particularly when rapid action is needed.

Safety, Accessibility, and Impact

In addition to its strong performance, the ID NOW™ assay is simple to administer and requires minimal infrastructure, making it ideal for use in clinics, urgent care centers, and under-resourced environments. It offers a meaningful solution to help connect symptomatic individuals to treatment faster, especially as new variants emerge and timely antiviral access remains crucial.

Dr. Patrick Dennis Supporting Breakthrough Diagnostic Research

Dr. Patrick Dennis and the DelRicht Research team at Touro Medical Center continue to play a critical role in validating innovative medical technologies. Their work on this trial contributes to a growing body of evidence that supports rapid, decentralized testing as a vital component of the COVID-19 response.

To read the full abstract and view data highlights, visit the study publication.

DelRicht Research is proud to support principal investigators like Dr. Patrick Dennis who push forward diagnostic innovation and improve care delivery when time matters most.