howdy!
remember Ct values? those numbers spit out by certain types of PCR tests, including some of the ones we use to test for the coronavirus?
let's talk. 1/
remember Ct values? those numbers spit out by certain types of PCR tests, including some of the ones we use to test for the coronavirus?
let's talk. 1/
Ct values correlate with how much viral RNA is in the sample. so if you're running several samples on a test platform, and some have higher Cts, those have *less* RNA (it's a reverse scale; Cts count how many times you have to copy the genetic material before it's "visible") 2/
Ct values do not tell you if the viral RNA belongs to an intact virus or an infectious virus. they also don't measure how directly "transmissible" someone is. to measure transmission, we need epidemiological data - how are *actual humans* spreading the virus? 3/
two people who take the same test and get similar Ct values might not actually pass a virus on to equal extents. things that matter: state of the virus. state of the person - are they symptomatic? vaccinated? who are they interacting with? where? 4/
Ct values are useful, but not enough to draw big conclusions. take them with a grain of salt. 5/5
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