Ultrarapid On-Site Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Using Simple ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy and an Analysis Algorithm:...

Area of Science:

• Spectroscopy and Spectrometry
• Biophysics
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Current severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) detection methods like RT-qPCR and antigen tests are time-consuming, costly, and impractical for real-time screening.
• The delay in obtaining test results contributes to the continued spread of the virus.
• There is an urgent need for ultrarapid, non-laboratory-based testing solutions for real-time detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a superfast, reagent-free, and nondestructive method for prescreening virus-infected samples using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy.
• To assess the potential of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy combined with chemometric analysis for rapid SARS-CoV-2 detection.
• To evaluate the clinical applicability and performance of the developed ATR-FTIR method in a real-world setting.

Main Methods:

• Development of a reagent-free attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy approach.
• Analysis of saliva samples spiked with inactivated SARS-CoV-2 particles and pharyngeal swabs from clinical participants.
• Application of chemometric analysis, specifically a genetic algorithm-linear discriminant analysis (GA-LDA) algorithm, for spectral data interpretation.

Main Results:

• ATR-FTIR spectroscopy successfully generated IR spectra from contrived samples with virus levels as low as 1582 copies/mL.
• Spectral modifications in saliva were observed due to virus presence, with discriminating wavenumbers associated with RNA.
• In a clinical setting, the GA-LDA algorithm achieved a blind sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 89% for COVID-19 infection detection from pharyngeal swabs, with results generated within 2 minutes.

Conclusions:

• ATR-FTIR spectroscopy offers a promising ultrarapid, reagent-free, and nondestructive method for prescreening SARS-CoV-2 infections.
• The technique demonstrates potential for real-time detection in high-traffic areas requiring immediate test results.
• This approach could significantly aid in controlling virus spread by providing near-instantaneous diagnostic information.