Abstract
Rapid and visual detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants is vital for timely assessment of variant transmission in resource-limited settings. Here, a closed-tube, two-stage, mixed-dye-based isothermal amplification method with ribonuclease-cleavable enhanced probes (REP), termed REP-TMAP, for dual-visualization detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants including JN.1, BA.2, BA.4/5, and Delta is introduced. The first stage of REP-TMAP is reverse transcription recombinase polymerase amplification and the second stage is dual-visualization detection synergistically mediated by the REP and the mixed dyes of cresol red and hydroxy naphthol blue. In REP-TMAP reaction, the color change under ambient light indicates SARS-CoV-2 infection, while the fluorescence change under blue light excitation specifies variant type. On detecting transcribed RNA of SARS-CoV-2 spike gene, this assay is rapid (within 40 min), highly sensitive (10-200 copies per reaction), and highly specific (identification of single-base mutations). Furthermore, the assay has been clinically validated to accurately detect JN.1, BA.2, and BA.4/5 variants from 102 human oropharyngeal swabs. The proposed assay therefore holds great potentials to provide a rapid, dual-visualization, sensitive, specific, point-of-care detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants and beyond.