Open AccessDistribution of cycle threshold values in RT-qPCR tests during the autumn 2020 peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
Author(s) -
Michal Koblížek,
Daniela Hávová,
Karel Kopejtka,
Jürgen Tomasch,
Kateřina Bišová
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
access microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2516-8290
DOI - 10.1099/acmi.0.000263
Subject(s) - covid-19 , pandemic , czech , virology , coronavirus , gene , biology , medicine , genetics , outbreak , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty) , pathology , linguistics , philosophy
Reverse-transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) is currently the most sensitive method to detect severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We analysed 1927 samples collected in a local public hospital during the autumn 2020 peak of the pandemic in the Czech Republic. The tests were performed using the Seegene Allplex 2019-nCov assay, which simultaneously detects three SARS-CoV-2 genes. In all samples analysed, 44.5 % were negative for all three genes, and 37.6 % were undoubtedly positive, with all three viral genes being amplified. A high degree of correlation between C t values among the genes confirmed the internal consistency of testing. Most of the positive samples were detected between the 15th and 35th cycles. We also registered a small number of samples with only one (13.2 %) or two (4.7 %) amplified genes, which may have originated from either freshly infected or already recovering patients. In addition, we did not detect any potentially false-positive samples from low-prevalence settings. Our results document that PCR testing represents a reliable and robust method for routine diagnostic detection of SARS-CoV-2.