Do You Have Symptoms Of COVID-19, But A Negative PCR Test? The Result Could Be False

Do you have symptoms of COVID-19, but a negative PCR test? The result could be false

PCR tests for the new coronavirus are relatively often false negative. This is evidenced by preliminary research and the experience of doctors. Some experts believe that people who have symptoms need to be extremely careful even if the test is negative.

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PCR test results for the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus can be false negative. The director of the clinic of pulmonology and respiratory medicine of the First Moscow State Medical University named after I.I. THEM. Sechenov, chief freelance pulmonologist of the Ministry of Health of Russia Sergey Avdeev.

“The sensitivity of the PCR method is 70–80%. We have patients with negative test results, but they have the disease COVID-19, "Medvestnik quotes the words of the specialist. Avdeev stressed that "the sensitivity of CT methods is higher than that of PCR diagnostics methods."

The chief freelance pulmonologist's words are in line with the results of a Chinese study published at medrxiv.org, a resource for posting peer-reviewed research preprints. His data indicate that modern PCR tests for the diagnosis of COVID-19 can give a false negative result in about 30% of cases.

“Unfortunately, we have very little data available on the prevalence of false negative reactions in clinical practice,” writes Harlan Krumholtz, a professor at Yale University in an article in The New York Times. He suggests that the number of false positives may be even higher than the Chinese scientists indicate.

At the same time, Kramholtz notes that these PCR tests are highly specific. If the result is positive, then there is little doubt about its accuracy.

Among the possible reasons for false-negative results of PCR tests, Kramholtz indicates an insufficient amount of genetic material in a smear and violations in laboratory processes.

Dr. Alain Chaoui, head of Congenial Healthcare, told the Boston Globe that he encourages all his patients with negative tests but symptoms to act as if they are infected. He advises them to self-isolate until symptoms disappear.

In Russia and the world, the coronavirus pandemic, which has already killed many people. Remember simple safety rules and stay healthy

If you go to a pharmacy and a store, take precautions

Wash your hands correctly and use an antiseptic

If you sneeze and cough, do it right, as shown in the infographic.

If you are sick, wear a mask

If someone gets sick in your home, follow these rules.

And be sure to observe the self-isolation regime