@article{mbs:/content/journal/acmi/10.1099/acmi.0.000263, author = "Koblížek, Michal and Hávová, Daniela and Kopejtka, Karel and Tomasch, Jürgen and Bišová, Kateřina", title = "Distribution of cycle threshold values in RT-qPCR tests during the autumn 2020 peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic", journal= "Access Microbiology", year = "2021", volume = "3", number = "9", pages = "", doi = "https://doi.org/10.1099/acmi.0.000263", url = "https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/acmi/10.1099/acmi.0.000263", publisher = "Microbiology Society", issn = "2516-8290", type = "Journal Article", keywords = "RT-qPCR testing", keywords = "COVID-19", keywords = "SARS-CoV-2", keywords = "cycle threshold", eid = "000263", abstract = "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.", }