{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,31]],"date-time":"2026-08-31T11:33:54Z","timestamp":1788176034704,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,3]],"date-time":"2025-01-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1735862400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"FY2021 DHA Restoral","award":["CCar# 68127"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CCar# 68127"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Respiratory viral infections are a major public health challenge and the most diagnosed medical condition, particularly for individuals living in close proximity, like military personnel. We compared the sensitivity and specificity of the Biomeme FranklinTM and Truelab\u00ae RT-PCR thermocyclers to determine which platform is more sensitive and specific at detecting SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A and B viruses. Methodology: RNA extracted from nasopharyngeal swabs of infected and uninfected individuals was tested on the Biomeme FranklinTM at Lackland and the Truelab\u00ae at Wright Patterson Air Force bases. Results: We found an 88% and 71% positivity rate in SARS-CoV-2-infected samples tested on Biomeme and Truelab\u00ae, respectively. Likewise, we found a 49% and 80% positivity rate in influenza-positive samples tested on Biomeme and Truelab\u00ae, respectively. One hundred percent of uninfected swab samples tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 on both platforms. Conversely, 91% and 100% of uninfected swabs tested negative for flu on Biomeme and Truelab\u00ae, respectively. Significance: Differences in specificity and sensitivity in detection of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza between Biomeme and Truelab\u00ae suggest that Truelab\u00ae is a more promising and potentially deployable diagnostic platform for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses\u2019 detection in an austere environment.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens14010027","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,3]],"date-time":"2025-01-03T07:10:17Z","timestamp":1735888217000},"page":"27","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Comparison of Two Field Deployable PCR Platforms for SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza A and B Viruses\u2019 Detection"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Hakim","family":"Bouamar","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Advanced Molecular Detection, 59th Medical Wing\/Science & Technology, Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland, TX 78236, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-3521-8134","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Grace M.","family":"Reed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Advanced Molecular Detection, 59th Medical Wing\/Science & Technology, Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland, TX 78236, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wanda","family":"Lyon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"711th Human Performance Wing, Airman Systems Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH 45433, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hector","family":"Lopez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Advanced Molecular Detection, 59th Medical Wing\/Science & Technology, Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland, TX 78236, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Ochoa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"US Army FUTURE COMMANDS, Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, TX 78234, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7976-000X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Susana N.","family":"Asin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Advanced Molecular Detection, 59th Medical Wing\/Science & Technology, Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland, TX 78236, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1007\/s12546-021-09271-3","article-title":"Loss of life expectancy due to respiratory infectious diseases: Findings from the global burden of disease study in 195 countries and territories 1990\u20132017","volume":"39","author":"Huang","year":"2022","journal-title":"J. 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