ddPCR: a more accurate tool for SARS-CoV-2 detection in low viral load specimens

• Published in: Emerging microbes & infections Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 1259 - 1268
• Main Authors: Suo, Tao, Liu, Xinjin, Feng, Jiangpeng, Guo, Ming, Hu, Wenjia, Guo, Dong, Ullah, Hafiz, Yang, Yang, Zhang, Qiuhan, Wang, Xin, Sajid, Muhanmmad, Huang, Zhixiang, Deng, Liping, Chen, Tielong, Liu, Fang, Xu, Ke, Liu, Yuan, Zhang, Qi, Liu, Yingle, Xiong, Yong, Chen, Guozhong, Lan, Ke, Chen, Yu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 01.01.2020; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Betacoronavirus - genetics; clinical detection; Coronavirus Infections - diagnosis; COVID-19; droplet digital PCR; false negative; False Negative Reactions; Humans; Limit of Detection; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral - diagnosis; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; RNA, Viral - genetics; RT-PCR; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Viral Load - methods; SARS-CoV-2; false negative; clinical detection; droplet digital PCR; RT-PCR

Quantitative real time PCR (RT-PCR) is widely used as the gold standard for clinical detection of SARS-CoV-2. However, due to the low viral load specimens and the limitations of RT-PCR, significant numbers of false negative reports are inevitable, which results in failure to timely diagnose, cut off...