RT-PCR test unable to detect mutant coronavirus variant ! Read the expert views

April 23: Dr Souradipta Chandra, Consultant Physician at Helvetia Medical Centre in Delhi, said that the new mutant variant of coronavirus appears to escape RT-PCR COVID-19 test. “New mutant seems to be undetectable by RT-PCR test. I believe there are double and triple mutant varieties and due to change in structure, RT-PCR tests are unable to detect it. New varieties seem to cause new symptoms.”

The doctor further added, “We’re seeing patients with diarrhoea, abdominal pain, rashes, conjunctivitis, confusion state, brain fog, bluish discolouration of fingers and toes, bleeding through nose and throat apart from usual symptoms of sore throat, body ache, fever, loss of smell and taste.”

Video Credit: Hindustan Times

National Institute of Biomedical Genomics Director Soumitra Das said that the double and triple mutant strains first detected in India are one and the same variant of the coronavirus and the vaccines currently being administered in the country are effective on these variants. According to Das, the two variants refer to the same strain – B.1.617.

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RT- PCR tests giving false negative reports due to mutants?

Listen to Dr Anurag Agrawal, Director, @FollowDbtNibmg, Professor @iiscbangalore speak on this issue.https://t.co/IA7EhNMe8w@PMOIndia @drharshvardhan @AshwiniKChoubey @PIB_India @mygovindia

— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) April 23, 2021

Allaying such fears, Dr Anurag Agarwal, director of the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics confirmed that while it is possible that a covid positive person may test negative in an RT-PCR test, double mutant strain is not the reason. “Double mutant was sequenced through PCR positive. So it is not possible that the mutant escapes the RT-PCR test. Then we could not have sequenced it,” Dr Agarwal said in a video, tweeted by the Union health ministry.