Table 1.
Detection of SARS CoV in clinical specimens by different conventional and real-time RT-PCR protocols in relation to time after onset of disease
Day of onset | Sample Size | Number of positives |
||
---|---|---|---|---|
Conventional RT-PCR assay | Conventional RT-PCR assay with a modified RNA extraction protocol* | Real-time RT-PCR assay with a modified RNA extraction protocol*, ** | ||
1 | 8 | 0 (0%) | 2 (25%) | 5 (63%) |
2 | 16 | 3 (19%) | 8 (50%) | 14 (88%) |
3 | 26 | 8 (31%) | 12 (46%) | 21 (81%) |
The overall detection rate of the assay is statistically different from that of the conventional RT-PCR assay (McNemar's test, P<0.001).
The overall detection rate of the assay is statistically different from that of the conventional RT-PCR assay with a modified RNA extraction protocol (McNemar's test, P<0.0001).