"How are Omicron mutants investigated? ~ Honest questions of elementary school students ”

When Omicron started making noise, I was wondering how the PCR test, which has a high false positive rate (which gives a positive result even though it is not infected), makes a judgment.

Is it possible to take the trouble of performing gene sequencing confirmation from one end of what is positive in a normal PCR test (gene analysis requires enormous labor and cost)?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) site, Omicron has so many mutations in the gene that produces the spike protein (S gene) that conventional PCR cannot amplify the gene that produces the spike protein (S gene dropout).

According to PCR, if the genes that make up other viruses can be amplified and the gene that produces the spike protein (S gene) cannot be amplified, the procedure is to perform gene analysis with suspicion of Omicron ("Classification". of Omicron (B.1.1.529): SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern ”WHO, 26 November 2021).

In fact, mutant strains such as Delta strains may not be positive in conventional PCR tests due to mutations in the gene that produces the spike protein (S gene).

The highlight of the new corona is the spike protein.

If the gene that makes this peplomer cannot be searched by conventional PCR, it should usually be treated as test negative.

However, in 2021, it was planned to make a fuss about the mutant type, so if the gene that makes the spike protein is PCR negative (S gene drop out), it means that even gene analysis has been introduced.

This method, again and again, is time consuming, costly and staffing.

It's a little difficult, but the point is that the test to diagnose Omicron is very time-consuming.

In particular, PCR has a high false positive rate, so no matter how much time and money you have, if you apply gene analysis to such cases one by one, it will not be enough. There will also be a shortage of skilled inspection staff.

Is gene analysis software unified in the world?

What is the validity and reliability of genetic analysis tests?

However, it is unlikely that such time-consuming and costly inspections will become mainstream.

Because our taxes are limited (and most of them have to be transferred to those in power, so we can't spend a lot of money on inspections).

"Omicron is expanding rapidly ..."

This means that the rapidly increasing number is being analyzed up to gene analysis, so how large a laboratory (laboratory) you have and how fast you can get test results. I can't help wondering if it's done.

If you have identified a mutant strain including Omicron, we would like you to disclose the number of PCR amplifications, the results of gene analysis, and the laboratory.

However, there are many things that modern medicine makes noise with viruses other than the new corona, so why only the new corona has to search for variants even by genetic analysis (why not do it with measles or influenza virus). ) It's strange and can't be helped.

I would like to ask those who are considered to be experts to answer (^ _−) − ☆.