Abstract: Using the nucleic acid sequence of a SARS-CoV-2 nonvariant and a synthetic SARS-CoV-2 variant-carrying plasmid, a matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) method based on the single-base mass probe extension of multiplex PCR amplification products was established to detect 9 mutation types in 7 mutated sites (
HV6970del,
N501Y,
K417N,
P681H,
D614G,
E484K,
L452R,
E484Q, and
P681R) in the receptor-binding domain of the
spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 variants.