To examine the RT-PCR patterns of the SARS-CoV-2 genetic material in individuals diagnosed with COVID-19

Abstract

In the fourth year of the pandemic, we are still learning about viral dynamics, infectivity, and RT-PCR positivity. For this, the retrospective, observational study was conducted at MMG district hospital in Ghaziabad. COVID-19-positive patients were included in the current study. Age, gender, symptomatic and asymptomatic details, and SARS-CoV-2 RT- PCR results from nasooropharyngeal swabs obtained at various times were extracted from hospital lab records. Most of the 50,000 patients were male (55.1%). Furthermore, COVID-19 cases ranged from 15 to 63 years old, with a median age of 35. No symptoms were reported by 78.99% of patients. A total of 86,500 RT-PCR assays were performed on nasooropharyngeal tissues from 50,000 patients. These patients yielded 41598 virus-positive cases. The nasooropharyngeal RT-PCR test had a sensitivity of 90.57% compared to the gold standard for SARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnosis. Our study found that a small number of SARS-CoV-2 patients may meet the clinical case definition yet have negative RT-PCR results. By the time severe illness patients seek medical assistance, the virus may be quite low in the nasooropharyngeal tract. Thus, rigorous serological testing on suspected infected patients will help determine RT-PCR testing sensitivity.