PubMed · 2020 · 63 citations · 0 references
MedicineInfectious Disease ControlInfectious DiseasesDiagnostic MicrobiologyMolecular DiagnosticsVirologyDiagnostic EvaluationDiagnostic Test EvaluationInfectious Disease Molecular TestingInfectious Disease ScreeningIsolation PrecautionsViral DiagnosticsDiagnostic SensitivityInterpretation Of Test ResultsNegative Predictive Value AssessmentPathogen Detection SensitivityPositive Predictive ValueRespiratory Pathogen Screening
The Covid-19 pandemic imposes new diagnostic strategies in order to optimize the medical care of our patients. The current biblio-graphy, although of low quality, shows a sensitivity of 56 to 83 % for the Covid-19 PCR. Even though one negative test can exclude a Covid-19 in the majority of cases, the NPV (Negative Predictive Value) decreases with increasing prevalence (pre-test probability). This finding suggests the need for strict auto-isolation of patients until the resolution of their symptoms. For patients that present with typical symptoms, who have a presumed Covid-19 prevalence of -40-50 %, a negative test should be interpreted with caution and a repeat test may be needed.