Could I request information on the amount of cycles the current RT- PCR test is currently being run at and could I also request the false positives rate for the cycles it is being ran at please.
An answer will be provided in due course.
Thank you for your request dated 05 July 2022.
PCR Cycle rates have not changed since their first use. The real-time PCR assays in use in Wales for COVID-19 diagnostics all run for 45 cycles however, the cycle number where the sample is defined as RNA NOT DETECTED varies by platform and target gene detected by the system. This is defined by the manufacturer. One platform (Hologic) is isothermal, this means it does not cycle through temperature changes in the same way as the real-time PCR systems, therefore CT values are not reported by this system.
The false positive PCR test results have been estimated at between 0,8% and 4.3% (Ref:
ONS False Positive Rate of Covid PCR Tests
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