C_t values from SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic PCR assays should not be used as direct estimates of viral load

J Infect. 2021 Mar;82(3):414-451. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2020.10.017. Epub 2020 Oct 24.

Authors

Elias Dahdouh¹, Fernando Lázaro-Perona¹, María Pilar Romero-Gómez¹, Jesús Mingorance², Julio García-Rodriguez¹

Affiliations

¹ Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario La Paz, IdiPAZ, Paseo de La Castellana 261, Madrid 28046, Spain.
² Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario La Paz, IdiPAZ, Paseo de La Castellana 261, Madrid 28046, Spain. Electronic address: jesus.mingorance@idipaz.es.

Abstract

Image, graphical abstract

Keywords: C(t); COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; qPCR.

Publication types

Letter
Comment

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Clinical Laboratory Techniques
Humans
Polymerase Chain Reaction
RNA, Viral / genetics
SARS-CoV-2*
Viral Load

Substances

RNA, Viral