During the new coronary outbreak, there was a multiplicity of information, among which was the rumour that “pre-conversion tests of the new coronary virus were ineffective”, causing confusion and unnecessary concern for many.
The new coronary virus belongs to the RNA virus, and its variations occur naturally during the reproduction process. Since the outbreak, there have been many different strains, such as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omikron. These strains mutate in key areas such as the virus’s stabbing protein. However, existing testing methods are designed primarily for the conservative sequence of viruses. Conservative sequences are relatively stable and non-changeable gene fragments during the evolution of the virus.
The current widely applied nucleic acid detection technique is based on the determination of the presence of a new coronary virus in the sample by increasing the specific gene fragments of the virus. For example, the N and ORF1ab genes of the new crown virus are most commonly tested. Because these gene areas are highly conservative in different strains, mutations in these conservative areas are still less likely to mutate even when the virus has mutated. Therefore, nucleic acid testing can still be effective in detecting a mutated new coronary virus.
Antigen testing is also one of the commonly used methods. Antigen testing is primarily for specific protein antigens on the surface of the virus. While mutations may lead to changes in the protein structure of the virus, most variations do not result in the complete disappearance or fundamental change of the antigen surfaces targeted for testing. The effectiveness of the antigen detection reagents can be maintained as long as the key antigen sites targeted are not severely damaged by mutations. Also, as research on the variant strains deepens, the development of test reagents is being optimized and updated to better adapt to the detection needs of the variant strains.
In terms of actual detection data, nucleic acid and antigen detection continues to play a critical role in large-scale epidemic screening, diagnosis and control, despite the global multiwheel variant epidemic. These tests have demonstrated good reliability and effectiveness, both in the rapid targeting of the infected at the beginning of the transmission of the variant and in the monitoring of key populations in the context of routine control.
For the public, knowledge of this truth helps to dispel unnecessary panic. In the face of a new coronary virus mutation, there should be no undue concern about the failure of testing methods to relax or refuse testing. Rather, it is important to actively cooperate with the testing arrangements of the vaccination sector, whether regular nucleic acid screening or self-testing for antigens, as key to the timely detection of infection and the disruption of the transmission of the virus.
At the same time, scientists, like forward guards on anti-impression battles, constantly monitor the dynamics of the virus. They use state-of-the-art genetic sequencing techniques, bioinformatics analysis, etc., to insulate every detail of a virus’s variation. Based on these findings, the work of developing and improving detection techniques and reagents continues unabated. New methods of detection are emerging and the sensitivity and specificity of the tests are constantly increasing, with a view to keeping the detection method in a position where the virus is evolving in a complex situation where it can always be accurately captured and lead. The global epidemic is a difficult and long-lasting battle, and it is imperative that we firmly believe in the authority and reliability of science, and that we work together to build a firm line of defence that will lead to an early victory against the disease, using science as a means of cutting off rumours.
