Abstract:
A retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out to analyze the CT values of positive samples reported in the Molecular Laboratory of Victoriano Luna Medical Center in January 2022. This is to collect data from different individuals at a single point in time and observe the variables such as comparing differences between groups. The result of the study showed that most of the COVID-19 Pediatric patients are symptomatic and all recovered. Patient had mild symptoms of fever and respiratory symptoms such as cough and colds between ages 0-4 years old and not requiring admissions and majority of them were isolated at home. There is significant correlation between SARS Cov-2 Cycle Threshold (CT) values in terms of sex, presence of comorbidities and classifications of symptoms. Study showed that low SARS COV2 RT PCR Cycle Threshold value using different encoding genes (N genes and Orf1ab genes) is statistically associated with symptomatic illness among study subjects. Thus, the routine reporting of Ct values may help clinicians in making clinical and patient-management decisions concerning COVID-19 patients and to guide infection control or public health decisions.
Keywords: Cycle threshold, Orf1ab genes, N genes, SARS COV2 RTPCR
