tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Emerg Infect Dis
. 2022 Mar;28(3):717-720.
doi: 10.3201/eid2803.211747.
Relationship of SARS-CoV-2 Antigen and Reverse Transcription PCR Positivity for Viral Cultures
Dustin W Currie, Melisa M Shah, Phillip P Salvatore, Laura Ford, Melissa J Whaley, Jennifer Meece, Lynn Ivacic, Natalie J Thornburg, Azaibi Tamin, Jennifer L Harcourt, Jennifer Folster, Magdalena Medrzycki, Shilpi Jain, Phili Wong, Kimberly Goffard, Douglas Gieryn, Juliana Kahrs, Kimberly Langolf, Tara Zochert, Christopher H Hsu, Hannah L Kirking, Jacqueline E Tate, CDC COVID-19 Response Epidemiology Field Studies Team1
Abstract
We assessed the relationship between antigen and reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) test positivity and successful virus isolation. We found that antigen test results were more predictive of virus recovery than RT-PCR results. However, virus was isolated from some antigen-negative and RT-PCR‒positive paired specimens, providing support for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention antigen testing algorithm.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus disease; coronaviruses; cycle threshold; rapid antigen test; respiratory infections; reverse transcription PCR; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; viral cultures; viruses; zoonoses.
. 2022 Mar;28(3):717-720.
doi: 10.3201/eid2803.211747.
Relationship of SARS-CoV-2 Antigen and Reverse Transcription PCR Positivity for Viral Cultures
Dustin W Currie, Melisa M Shah, Phillip P Salvatore, Laura Ford, Melissa J Whaley, Jennifer Meece, Lynn Ivacic, Natalie J Thornburg, Azaibi Tamin, Jennifer L Harcourt, Jennifer Folster, Magdalena Medrzycki, Shilpi Jain, Phili Wong, Kimberly Goffard, Douglas Gieryn, Juliana Kahrs, Kimberly Langolf, Tara Zochert, Christopher H Hsu, Hannah L Kirking, Jacqueline E Tate, CDC COVID-19 Response Epidemiology Field Studies Team1
- PMID: 35202532
- DOI: 10.3201/eid2803.211747
Abstract
We assessed the relationship between antigen and reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) test positivity and successful virus isolation. We found that antigen test results were more predictive of virus recovery than RT-PCR results. However, virus was isolated from some antigen-negative and RT-PCR‒positive paired specimens, providing support for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention antigen testing algorithm.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus disease; coronaviruses; cycle threshold; rapid antigen test; respiratory infections; reverse transcription PCR; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; viral cultures; viruses; zoonoses.