Epidemiology of COVID-19 and the Utility of Cycle Threshold (Ct) Values in Predicting the Severity of Disease.

Objectives: Advanced molecular diagnostic methods like real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) play a vital role in the early recognition of viral infections, including the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Therefore, in the context of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, this study aimed to determine the correlation of cycle threshold (Ct) values with symptoms in COVID-19-positive patients.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in a virus research diagnostic laboratory (VRDL) at a COVID-19-dedicated tertiary care hospital in South India.