What is ct value in rt-pcr test, can 17.9 ct value person make 34 ct value person more infected?

Dr. Jenil Pravinkumar ThakkarGeneral Physician1yrs exp

Ask Free Question

Hi lybrate-user. Rt pcr method takes a very tiny amount of virus from your body and amplifies it till it crosses the threshold amount where we can actually see it. Now imagine in each cycle suppose virus gets doubled, and and you want to take virus to 50 to be seen. For that if your body has 1 virus, you will need 25 cycles. And if your body has 40 viruses, you will only need 5 cycles. So here the number of cycles are the ct value of rt pcr. Low ct value means the requirement of less cycles and so higher viral load in person. Hope it helps. Feel free to contact me in person for any kind of further assistance. :)  

0 person found this helpful