The way I understand it is that swabs are taken from UK test centres and then the PCR test is completed on a swab, where fragments of DNA/RNA are effectively ‘spun up’/recreated to then create enough genetic material to test to see if COVID-19 exists within that material/person that the swab was taken from - the ‘spinning up’ being the ‘cycle threshold’. Any number of cycles above 30 are not particularly reliable, especially in concluding whether a person is ‘infectious’ and/or is in a current state that they can spread the virus. I’m not of the view that hospitals are not busy (some are more than others) but why are we relying on such a test if this is indeed the case, creating mass hysteria, proposed school closures, etc. I think I’ve seen the figure of 40 cycles used for the PCR test… but want to try and see if anyone here (who works in the NHS/UK healthcare) knows anything about this. Ta
