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A pandemic guided by the SARS-CoV-2 PCR test: What should the clinician know?
South African Family Practice | Vol 64, No 1 : Part 4| a5492 |
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/safp.v64i1.5492
| © 2022 Avania Bangalee, Kreshalen Govender, Varsha Bangalee
| This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 18 January 2022 | Published: 15 September 2022
Submitted: 18 January 2022 | Published: 15 September 2022
About the author(s)
Avania Bangalee, Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Prinshof Campus, University of Pretoria, South Africa; and, National Health Laboratory Services, Johannesburg, South AfricaKreshalen Govender, Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Prinshof Campus, University of Pretoria, South Africa; and, National Health Laboratory Services, Johannesburg, South Africa
Varsha Bangalee, Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
Abstract
Amidst an ever-evolving pandemic, the demand for timely and accurate diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to increase. Critically, managing and containing the spread of the disease requires expedient testing of infected individuals. Presently, the gold standard for the diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection remains the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Potential vulnerabilities of this testing methodology can range from preanalytical variables to laboratory-related analytical factors and, ultimately, to the interpretation of results.
Keywords
SARS-CoV-2 PCR, pandemic, COVID-19 testing, molecular diagnostic test, laboratory, COVID-19 response
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