RE: LeoThread 2025-07-08 16:23

Part 4/11:

Testing at these high cycle thresholds can pick up fragments of the virus that may no longer be active or infectious, especially in elderly or asymptomatic individuals. Thus, a positive result at, say, 38 cycles doesn't necessarily indicate current illness or contagiousness. It may simply indicate residual viral material or even contamination.

This raises concerns about how positive PCR results are interpreted. Many health organizations use a cycle threshold (Ct) cutoff—often around 37-40—beyond which tests are considered positive. But positive results at high Ct values might reflect low viral loads with little clinical significance, potentially leading to overcounting COVID-19 deaths.