Omicron’s Early Detection
PCR tests that fail to detect the S gene are the first clues pointing to the Omicron variant. Whole genome sequencing is being prioritized.
Dody Hidayat
January 3, 2022
MOST laboratories in South Africa—such as the Lancet Laboratories in Johannesburg, which was the first to identify the new SARS-CoV-2 variant, Omicron—apply the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique using reagent kits to evaluate three target genes: S (spike), N (nucleocapsid), and ORF1ab (open reading frame-1ab). Apparently, these tests are able to detect the N and ORF1ab genes, but not the S gene. This c
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