On Dec. 1, 2021, T2 Biosystems announced that its T2SARS-CoV-2 Panel detected the Omicron COVID-19 variant (B.1.1.529).

The World Health Organization has designated the Omicron variant as a SARS-CoV-2 “variant of concern” with more than 30 mutations in the spike protein region. The variant was initially identified in South Africa and has already been detected across 20 countries.

To confirm that the T2SARS-CoV-2 Panel would detect the new Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant, in silico analysis was performed using sequences in the GISAID database. SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.1.529) sequences were evaluated for alignment with primer and probe sequences from T2SARS-CoV-2 Panel. These analyses demonstrated that none of the new B.1.1.529 mutations occur within the region targeted by the T2SARS-CoV-2 Panel.