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if(isHidden(s)){ s.style.display = 'inline'; } else { s.style.display = 'none'; } } function isHidden(element){ var style = window.getComputedStyle(element); return (style.display === 'none'); } </script> <span class="cc_sidebar"> <span class="cc_color_bar"> <span class="cc_home_icon"> <a href="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/"><img src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/themes/clinical-conversations/images/icon_home.png" alt="Clinical Conversation blog - home icon" /></a> </span> <span class="cc_post_category"> <a class='cc_colorbar_category' href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/category/science-and-education/'>Science and education</a> </span>  <span id="cc_post_readtime"> 3 mins. </span> <span class="cc_toggle_social"> <a href="javascript:cc_toggle('cc_jetpack_shares');">Sharing ▼</a> </span> <span class="cc_toggle"> <a href="javascript:cc_toggle('cc_metadata');">Details ▼</a> </span> </span> </span> <span id="cc_jetpack_shares"> <ul> <li><a target="_blank" href='https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thermofisher.com%2Fblog%2Fclinical-conversations%2Fs-variant-linked-to-higher-viral-loads%2F&title=S-Variant+Linked+to+Higher+Viral+Loads'><img src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations//wp-content/themes/clinical-conversations/images/social_icons_linkedin.jpg" alt="Linked In sharing icon" /></a></li> <li><a target="_blank" href='https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thermofisher.com%2Fblog%2Fclinical-conversations%2Fs-variant-linked-to-higher-viral-loads%2F'><img src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations//wp-content/themes/clinical-conversations/images/social_icons_facebook.jpg" alt="Facebook sharing icon" /></a></li> <li><a target="_blank" href='https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=S-Variant+Linked+to+Higher+Viral+Loads&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thermofisher.com%2Fblog%2Fclinical-conversations%2Fs-variant-linked-to-higher-viral-loads%2F&'><img src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations//wp-content/themes/clinical-conversations/images/social_icons_twitter.jpg" alt="Twitter sharing icon" /></a></li> <li><a href='mailto:?subject=You might be interested in S-Variant Linked to Higher Viral Loads from the Clinical Conversations blog.&body=You might be interested in S-Variant Linked to Higher Viral Loads from the Clinical Conversations blog at https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thermofisher.com%2Fblog%2Fclinical-conversations%2Fs-variant-linked-to-higher-viral-loads%2F'><img src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/themes/clinical-conversations/images/icon_email.png" alt="Email sharing icon" /></a></li> </ul> </span> <span id="cc_metadata"> <span class="cc_dateline"> <span class="post-info-date">  2 Feb 2022 </span> || <span class="post-info-author">   By Manoj Gandhi, M.D., Ph.D. </span> </span> <span class="cc_shares"> <span class="cc_shares_subhead" >Shares: <span class="share_count">0</span> </span> </span> <span class="cc_version"> <span class="cc_version_subhead">Versions of this article</span> Original article. </span> <span class="cc_post_tags"> <span class="cc_post_tags_subhead">Tags</span> <a href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/tag/clinical-testing/'>Clinical testing</a>, <a href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/tag/covid-19/'>COVID-19</a>, <a href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/tag/sars-cov-2/'>Sars-cov-2</a>, <a href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/tag/sgtf/'>SGTF</a>, <a href='https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/tag/variants/'>Variants</a> </span>   </span> <script type="text/javascript"> cc_toggle('cc_metadata'); cc_toggle('cc_jetpack_shares'); </script> </header><div class="entry-content"><p class="selectionShareable">In response to the exhaustive need to accommodate COVID-19 testing demands, the NHS and the Public Health England Laboratories have set up a new test and trace program with their partner, Lighthouse Laboratories, to process COVID-19 swab samples. Test and Trace is now the largest diagnostic network in British history, processing around 2 million tests per week. Data generated from Lighthouse Laboratories reveals a high proportion of the S gene dropout. Consequently, a significant proportion of S-gene dropout is associated with higher viral loads and faster transmissibility.[1]</p> <div>According to Birmingham University Turnkey laboratory, patients whose samples exhibit the S-dropout profile are more likely to have high viral loads at the time of sampling.</div> <div></div> <div><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-16208" src="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/02/shutterstock_17059511622f-1.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="675" srcset="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/02/shutterstock_17059511622f-1.jpg 1200w, https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/02/shutterstock_17059511622f-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/02/shutterstock_17059511622f-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/clinical-conversations/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2022/02/shutterstock_17059511622f-1-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></div> <div></div> <h2>B.1.1.7 (S-VoC) viral load and impact on transmissibility</h2> <p class="selectionShareable">The population of S-gene dropout samples had significantly lower median Ct values of ORF and N in the same sample, inferring relative high viral loads, which leads to increased infection and transmissibility. Consequently, results from qPCR median Ct values dictates delta in viral titers. This analysis suggests that patients whose samples exhibit the S-dropout profile in the TaqPath RT-PCR test are more likely to have high viral loads at the time of testing.</p> <h2>How much higher are the viral loads?</h2> <p class="selectionShareable">The observed cluster of S-dropout samples corresponds to a conservative estimate of a significantly larger population of infectious subjects that have an increased viral load up to 10,000-fold higher. Thus, the study explains transmissibility but not how the increased viral load occurs.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/behindthebench/thermo-fishers-covid-19-tests-designed-with-virus-mutations-in-mind/" data-uw-rm-brl="false">Blog: Thermo Fisher’s COVID-19 tests: designed with virus mutations in mind</a></li> </ul> <h2>Identify Potential Variants</h2> <p class="selectionShareable">Identify Potential Variants Early to Help Curb the Spread Because the detection patterns of the TaqPath COVID-19 tests can differ among variants, test results from these kits can provide initial insight into developments in SARS-CoV-2’s evolution. Being able to distinguish between different, potentially more transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants is of value for gathering preliminary data on the appearance and spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants and lineages.</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/ask-a-scientist/the-s-gene-advantage-taqpath-covid-19-tests-may-help-early-identification-of-b-1-1-7/" data-uw-rm-brl="false">Blog: The S Gene Advantage: TaqPath COVID-19 Tests May Help Early Identification of B.1.1.7</a></li> </ul> <h2>Data from TaqPath RT-QPCR</h2> <p class="selectionShareable">Lighthouse Laboratories reveals the S-variant of SARS-CoV-2 shows a suboptimal profile in TaqPath RT-PCR test. Following an analysis of the trends and significance of the S-gene ‘dropout’ variant, it was discovered that the population of S-gene dropout samples had significantly lower median Ct values (the lower the Ct value, the greater the amount of nucleic acid).</p> <p class="selectionShareable">Furthermore, 35% of samples infected with a variant with the <em>69-70del</em> mutation (the cause of S gene drop out) showed significantly higher viral load. This seems to support preliminary evidence that some variants (like B.1.1.7 – UK variant) show an increased viral load, which supports the theory of higher transmissibility.</p> <p role="heading" data-uw-rm-heading="level"><strong>References</strong></p> <p class="selectionShareable">[1] “S-variant SARS-CoV-2 is associated with significantly higher viral loads in samples tested by ThermoFisher TaqPath RT-QPCR,” M Kidd et al, medRxiv 2020.12.24.20248834; doi:https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.12.24.20248834</p> <p role="heading" data-uw-rm-heading="level"><strong>Resources</strong></p> <p class="selectionShareable">Learn More about emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 at <a href="https://www.thermofisher.com/covid19mutations" data-uw-rm-brl="false">https://www.thermofisher.com/covid19mutations</a></p> <p class="selectionShareable">Find out more about our TaqPath COVID-19 diagnostic test kits:</p> <ul> <li>The <a href="http://www.thermofisher.com/covid19eua" data-uw-rm-brl="false">TaqPath COVID-19 Combo Kit</a> is Emergency Use Authorized (EUA)</li> <li>The <a href="http://www.thermofisher.com/covid19ceivd" data-uw-rm-brl="false">TaqPath COVID-19 CE-IVD RT-PCR Kit</a> is CE-IVD marked</li> </ul>  </div></article></main></div></div><footer class="site-footer"><div class="wrap"><div class="creds"><p class="footer-links"><a href="https://corporate.thermofisher.com/en/footer/privacy-statement.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Privacy Statement</a><a href="https://corporate.thermofisher.com/en/footer/terms-and-conditions.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Terms & Conditions</a><a href="/blog/locations/">Locations</a><a href="/blog/sitemap/">Sitemap</a></p><p>© 2024 <a href="https://www.thermofisher.com">Thermo Fisher Scientific</a>. 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