Real-time RT-PCR Ct value is not associated with COVID-19 disease severity: an observational study in tertiary COVID-19 referral hospital of West Java, Indonesia

A. Yuwono Soeroto, R. Antartika, N. Nauli Asriputri, H. Suryadinata, B. Andriyoko

Division of Pulmonology and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Padjadjaran, Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia. aysoeroto@yahoo.co.id

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• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

OBJECTIVE: Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the gold standard examination to confirm coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to determine the association between RT-PCR Ct value and COVID-19 clinical severity in the second week of illness.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional study. Data were collected from medical records of COVID-19 patients at the tertiary COVID-19 referral hospital of West Java, Dr. Hasan Sadikin Hospital Bandung, from January to May 2021. A total of 207 patients who met inclusion criteria were divided into four severity groups. The data were analyzed with One Way ANOVA Test.

RESULTS: There was no significant difference in RT-PCR Ct value among mild, moderate, severe and critical groups measured in the second week of illness, with p=0.825 for Ct Helicase/ORF1b gene, p=0.821 for Ct RdRp gene and p=0.870 for the lowest Ct gene.

CONCLUSIONS: Although Ct value reflects viral load, its role is concluded to be clinically insignificant in terms of association with the severity of COVID-19 in the second week of illness.

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