The current reference for COVID-19 diagnosis is based on the detection of SARS-CoV-2 on RNA extracts using
one-step retrotranscription and quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Based on the urgent need for high-throughput
COVID-19 screening, we tested the performance of three alternative, simple and affordable protocols to
rapidly detect SARS-CoV-2, overcoming the long and tedious RNA extraction step. Although with an average
increase of 6.1 (± 1.6) cycles compared to standard tests with RNA extracts, we show that RT-qPCR yielded
consistent results in nasopharyngeal swab samples that were subject to a direct 70o
C incubation for 10 min.
Our findings provide viable options to overcome any supply chain issue and help to increase the throughput
of diagnostic tests by using any qPCR device, thereby complementing standard COVID-19 testing.
