PCR test with Ct >34 shows no viable virus

On April 27, 2020 a paper published by French Doctor Didier Raoult et al, showed that a PCR test resulting from amplifying 34 cycles or more does not have viable virus, meaning the person is not infectious and the test is a false positive.

The paper determined:

• SARS-CoV-2 RNA positivity in patient samples was assessed by real-time reverse transcription-PCR [RT-PCR] targeting the E gene.
• We observed a significant relationship between Ct value and culture positivity rate
• No culture was obtained from samples with Ct > 34
• Our results show that in our system of RT-PCR, we can assess that patients with Ct equal or above 34 may be discharged.

Patients were only told it they were positive or negative, the lab did not report the Ct value.  PCR tests had a cycle threshold of 40-45, meaning they did not cut off the cycling until that point, which resulted in many “false positves” COVID-19 “cases”. [1]