Cycle Threshold Values in the Context of Multiple RT-PCR Testing for SARS-CoV-2

• DOI: 10.2147/rmhp.s282962
• Publication Date: 2021-03-28T21:46:05Z
• Authors: Daniel Romero-Alv...; Daniel Garzon-Chavez; Franklin Espinosa; Edison Ligña; Enrique Teran; Francisco Mora; Emilia Espin; Cristina Albán; Juan Miguel Galarza; Jorge Reyes
• Keywords: Cycle thresholds; Risk Management and Healthcare Policy; 0301 basic medicine; Pandemic; SARS-CoV-2; diagnosis; pandemic; rt-pcr; RT-PCR; coronavirus; Short Report; COVID-19; 610; cycle thresholds; 3. Good health; Coronavirus; sars-cov-2; 03 medical and health sciences; covid-19; Diagnosis; 616; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270

Purpose: Discharge or follow up of confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases depend on accurate interpretation RT-PCR. Currently, positive/negative interpretations are based amplification instead quantification cycle threshold (Ct) values, which could be used as proxies patient infectiousness. Here, we measured Ct values in hospitalized COVID-19 patients at different times and its implications diagnosis up. Patients Methods: Observational study between March 17th-May 12th, 2020 using multiple RT-PCR testing. A cohort 118 Hispanic with a reference hospital Quito, Ecuador. Multiple tests were performed deep nasal swab samples the assessment SARS-CoV-2 genes N, RdRP, E. Results: Patients' median age was 49 years (range: 24– 91) male majority (62.7%). We found increasing levels time, mean value 29.13 (n = 61, standard deviation (sd) 5.55) for first test 34.38 60, sd 4), 35.52 20, 2.85), 36.12 6, 3.28), second, third, fourth tests, respectively. Time to lack all 34 days while time > 33 30 days. Conclusion: Cycle thresholds can potentially improve diagnosis, management control. that turnover negativity large 11% persisted infectious more than current isolation recommendations. Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, pandemic, thresholds, RT-PCR,