Question reference: S5W-33596
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 30 November 2020
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Current status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 7 January 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the cycle threshold for the polymerase chain reaction process being used by (a) NHS and (b) Lighthouse Labs laboratories for COVID-19 tests is known, and when this information will be made public, in light of it playing a critical role in diagnosis and the development of policy.
Answer
The cycle threshold (Ct) can be used as an indicator of the concentration of viral genetic material in a patient sample; a typical PCR assay will have a maximum of 40 thermal cycles. Ct values are not directly comparable between assays and may not be reported by some PCR platforms in use. Individual laboratories will hold details of the Ct reached for each individual specimen who will have quality systems in place to ensure the veracity of the results.