@article {Holborowe209, author = {Abigail Holborow and Hibo Asad and Lavinia Porter and Poppy Tidswell and Claire Johnston and Ian Blyth and Alice Bone and Brendan Healy}, title = {The clinical sensitivity of a single SARS-CoV-2 upper respiratory tract RT-PCR test for diagnosing COVID-19 using convalescent antibody as a comparator}, volume = {20}, number = {6}, pages = {e209--e211}, year = {2020}, doi = {10.7861/clinmed.2020-0555}, publisher = {Royal College of Physicians}, abstract = {The clinical false negative rate of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing for SARS-CoV-2 on a single upper respiratory tract sample was calculated using convalescent antibody testing as a comparator. The sensitivity in symptomatic individuals was 86.2\% (25/29). Of the missed cases, one (3.5\%) was detected by repeat RT-PCR, one by CT thorax and two (7.1\%) by convalescent antibody. The clinical false negative rate of a single RT-PCR on an upper respiratory tract sample of 14\% in symptomatic patients is reassuring when compared to early reports. This report supports a strategy of combining repeat swabbing, use of acute and convalescent antibody testing and CT thorax for COVID-19 diagnosis.}, issn = {1470-2118}, URL = {https://www.rcpjournals.org/content/20/6/e209}, eprint = {https://www.rcpjournals.org/content/20/6/e209.full.pdf}, journal = {Clinical Medicine} }