October 13, 2024

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FDA: COVID-19 mutation may cause false negative virus test

FDA: COVID-19 mutation may cause false negative virus test

FDA: COVID-19 mutation may cause false negative virus test.  Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued an alert stating that the new coronavirus has undergone multiple mutations, which may lead to false negative results in current virus tests.

FDA: COVID-19 mutation may cause false negative virus test

A few weeks ago, the UK reported for the first time a variant of the new coronavirus B.1.1.7. At present, the CDC in the US has detected more than 50 cases of local infection. The FDA reminds that the new coronavirus, like all viruses, can continue to mutate over time, causing genetic mutations in the entire virus population. B.1.1.7 may have an impact on the new coronavirus test currently being used in the United States. Some viral genome mutations before testing may result in false negative results.

Fortunately, at present, the risk of this mutation affecting the overall detection accuracy is very low. According to estimates, MesaBioTech Accula, TaqPath combination kits and Linea detection kits may be affected by this variant. However, TaqPath and Linea detection methods may also be able to identify new variants in patients early and help reduce the further spread of infection. The FDA is working with test developers to conduct continuous data analysis to evaluate all currently authorized test methods to ensure that medical personnel can quickly and accurately diagnose infected persons.

On the other hand, current data shows that the COVID-19 pneumonia vaccine can effectively fight this latest strain. A study released last week showed that researchers took the blood of 20 people who received two doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for virus testing and found that their neutralizing activity against the N501Y mutant virus (another mutant virus strain) did not decrease.

A statement issued by Pfizer stated that the company is testing a variety of mutant virus strains, and the current results show that the vaccine is effective against the mutant strains and will continue to monitor the immune effect of the vaccine against various mutants. This vaccine made using genetic technology can quickly adapt to viral mutations. Even if a future mutant strain develops resistance to this vaccine, the vaccine can be adjusted.

 

(sourceinternet, reference only)


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