Standard PCR tests do not pick up new COVID-19 strains
Christian Fernsby ▼ | November 15, 2021
Some new strains of Covid-19 are not being picked up by standard PCR tests, reveals Dr Quinton Fivelman.Article continues below
He warns that new mutations mean some variants are not being picked up by the standard, widely used, single gene tests.
The PCR (polymerase chain reaction) blood test is considered the standard in detecting Covid-19 infections.
However, one of the UK’s leading experts in Covid-19 testing, Dr Quinton Fivelman PhD, claims some strains of the virus have now evolved in a way that evades detection by many standard PCR tests.
Dr Fivelman, the Chief Scientific Officer at London Medical Laboratory, says: ‘Scientists have noted some variants of the Covid-19 virus are not being detected by the traditional PCR test, which is considered superior to the quicker and less sensitive lateral flow test. Changes to the SARS-CoV-2 genomes including some of those found in currently circulating variants mean that key virus genes have altered so significantly that they can muddle PCR tests and give the wrong result.
‘Scientists in France and Finland first noted that some Covid-19 mutations were evading detection earlier this year, and now new strains have been found in the UK that are not being picked up using the traditional tests. Standard PCR tests that just target one specific gene may not detect these variants if the gene has even slightly altered.
‘London Medical Laboratory’s PCR test targets two Covid-19 genes: nucleocapsid (N2) and envelope (E). Last month alone, we had three patient samples that tested negative for the N gene but positive for the E gene. Had the test just been focused on the N gene, the cases would have gone undiscovered and these people would have returned to work, potentially infecting others with undetectable Covid-19. ■ What to read next
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