MARYLAND: The research has recently found that PCR-based tests for SARS-CoV-2 have a false negative rate of at least 20 percent, depending on the time of testing.
A team of scientists from Johns Hopkins Medicine stated that the majority of tests for the novel coronavirus involve taking a swab from the back of the nose or the throat for genetic analysis.
This analysis uses a laboratory procedure called reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), which converts genetic material from the virus (RNA) to DNA before amplifying it.
It allows the detection of genetic material specific to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, confirming a diagnosis of the associated disease, COVID-19.
There has been much discussion about the accuracy of antibody tests, with manufacturers even withdrawing some such tests due to concerns about their reliability. A new analysis suggests that the accuracy of RT-PCR could also be under question.
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