College of American Pathologists Releases New Proficiency Testing Program for Detection of SARS CoV-2

The College of American Pathologists {(CAP) Northfield, IL, USA) has responded to the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic by releasing a new proficiency testing (PT) program for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). PT is used to gauge the performance of individual laboratories for specific tests and monitors continuing performance while comparing performance with other laboratories.

The CAP is an organization of board-certified pathologists and a leading provider of laboratory accreditation and proficiency testing programs that serves patients, pathologists, and the public by fostering and advocating excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine worldwide. The CAP offers the most comprehensive PT programs that CAP members, along with other scientists, scientifically develop and validate. More than 22,000 laboratories across the world are enrolled in the CAP’s PT programs.


The Microbiology Committee members piloted the new program with a set of laboratories prior to making it available, allowing committee members and CAP staff to verify specimen performance across the multiple methods and testing platforms. Specifically, the program is for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 by nucleic acid amplification testing. Further, it provides samples that are non-infectious and target consensus gene regions N, E, RdRp, S, and ORF1a, as well as allows laboratories to assess their entire workflow from nucleic acid extraction through detection.

“In the midst of the enormous pressure laboratories are facing, along with everyone working in health care during the COVID-19 crisis, laboratories are seeking to measure their performance when testing for the disease,” said Raouf Nakhleh, MD, FCAP, chair of the CAP’s Council on Scientific Affairs. “The CAP’s Microbiology Committee quickly came together to develop this high-quality program.”

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