1/17
It& #39;s been 2 weeks now since NYT reported up to 90% false positive due to "cycle threshold settings".

PCR cycle threshold topic is cruical.
As tweets usually have just a half-time of max. 30 min https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="➡️" title="Pfeil nach rechts" aria-label="Emoji: Pfeil nach rechts"> Thread https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="‼️" title="Doppeltes Ausrufezeichen" aria-label="Emoji: Doppeltes Ausrufezeichen"> https://twitter.com/kerpen/status/1302234131707944961?s=20">https://twitter.com/kerpen/st...
2/17
As the NYT article is behind a paywall
here is all you need to know https://twitter.com/apoorva_nyc/status/1299705092178956288?s=19">https://twitter.com/apoorva_n...
3/17
"If you have to go more than 40 cycles to amplify a single-copy gene, there is something seriously wrong with your PCR“"

Source:
Michael A. Innis et al. PCR Protocols. A Guide to Methods and Applications, Academic Press, 1990.
5/17
Diagnostic detection of 2019-nCoV by real-time RT-PCR (Berlin, January)

"All oligonucleotides
were synthesised and provided by Tib-Molbiol, Berlin. Thermal cycling ...
and then 45 cycles "

Source WHO:
https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/protocol-v2-1.pdf">https://www.who.int/docs/defa...
7/17
@carlheneghan and Tom Jefferson

"Infectivity (defined as growth in cell culture) was significantly reduced when RT-PCR Ct values were over 24."
August 12, 2020

https://www.cebm.net/study/covid-19-clinical-utility-of-cycle-threshold-values/">https://www.cebm.net/study/cov...
8/17
Carl Heneghan recently recommended cut off 30 https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten" aria-label="Emoji: Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten">

https://twitter.com/carlheneghan/status/1303220734689501184?s=20">https://twitter.com/carlheneg...
10/17
Should guidelines be evidence-based? https://twitter.com/abirballan/status/1303924976932794368?s=20">https://twitter.com/abirballa...
11/17
"Number of cycles needed to achieve a positive related to outcome. Any positive that required more than 30 cycles should be questioned without good corroberative evidence."

https://twitter.com/ClareCraigPath/status/1303314465685987328?s=20">https://twitter.com/ClareCrai...
12/17
Uruguay has developed an own PCR test and uses Ct cut off 35

https://twitter.com/FrankfurtZack/status/1303784617003151361?s=20">https://twitter.com/Frankfurt...
13/17
Same in Taiwan, Ct cut off 35.

"Only samples with a CT value under 35 are considered positive in Taiwan, while those over 32 are unlikely to be contagious, Chuang said."

Source
https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202006250010">https://focustaiwan.tw/society/2...
14/17
CT > 35 https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="➡️" title="Pfeil nach rechts" aria-label="Emoji: Pfeil nach rechts"> contamination issues? https://twitter.com/Mirza_Muddassar/status/1299784122081124355?s=20">https://twitter.com/Mirza_Mud...
15/17
Contamination examples https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten" aria-label="Emoji: Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten"> https://twitter.com/FrankfurtZack/status/1299762933073838082?s=20">https://twitter.com/Frankfurt...
16/17
Conclusion? https://twitter.com/EthicalSkeptic/status/1304250461164314626?s=20">https://twitter.com/EthicalSk...
17/17
Covid data is nosy, that& #39;s well known, isn& #39;t it? Main reason cycle threshold too high?
More than 50 "data errors"https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👇" title="Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten" aria-label="Emoji: Rückhand Zeigefinger nach unten"> https://twitter.com/DaFeid/status/1284919954643591168?s=20">https://twitter.com/DaFeid/st...
@kerpen
@FatEmperor
@boriquagato
@gummibear737
@EthicalSkeptic
@FrankfurtZack
@abirballan

FYI.
Collecting a few threshold items https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👆" title="Rückhand Zeigefinger nach oben" aria-label="Emoji: Rückhand Zeigefinger nach oben">
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