NIAID VIROLOGY QUALITY ASSURANCE (VQA) COVID-19

The purpose of the NIAID Virology Quality Assurance (VQA) program is to provide a comprehensive quality assessment program for virologic assays for HIV, and other viral pathogens, performed on samples from subjects enrolled in NIAID-sponsored multisite clinical studies. The VQA program ensures the validity and inter- and intra-laboratory comparability of virologic laboratory data obtained from NIAID-supported clinical trials and HIV natural history studies by providing laboratories with proficiency testing panels and real-time assay run controls and analyzing proficiency panel and assay run data from each laboratory. The VQA program also implements standards of performance for existing and state-of-the-art new virologic assays, develops and tests biostatistical methods relating to the assays, and acquires, tests, stores and dispenses quality control materials and reagents. Support under this project is for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virologic assay quality assurance activities.