The Centre on Friday said that the reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests for detecting coronavirus do not miss it...
The Centre on Friday said that the reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests for detecting coronavirus do not miss its variants. The health ministry, in a release, said that the “sensitivity and specificity” of RT-PCR tests remain the same despite the emergence of mutant strains of the coronavirus.
The clarification came amid concerns, including those raised by media reports, that RT-PCR tests were failing to detect new variants of the virus.
“The detection of these mutations does not change the strategy of management which remains to test, track, trace and treat,” the health ministry stated.
The health ministry added that so far 17 mutations of the virus from the United Kingdom, 17 other from Brazil and 12 from South Africa have been found in India and many other countries. These variants have shown higher transmissibility, the ministry said.
The release also stated that a double mutation of the virus has been found in countries like Australia, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Namibia, New Zealand, Singapore, United Kingdom and the United States, adding that the higher transmissibility of this variant had not been established yet.
The Centre did not mention about the presence or spread of the double mutation variant in India, even as reports quoting data from the National Institute of Virology in Pune have suggested...
