RE: Q and a16 Feb 2021 07:34
Reposting of hill seekers analysis from q and a
Since the last RNS, however, I have been wondering how SNPsig will actually work and sit alongside what currently happens. My understanding, and this has been reinforced by the article, is that currently Cog UK take a random sample (approximately one in ten) from positive PCR tests carried out under Pillar 1, 2 and 4 testing. They then undertake a full genomic sequencing of the virus present and compare this to what is on the database to ascertain what strain or lineage the virus is and to see if there has been any mutation. This takes approximately two weeks.
The new Novacyt test (SNPsig) will not do this. What this test will do is similar to the WinterPlex (which tells you whether one has Covid19, Flu A, Flu B or RSA), it will tell you whether you have Kent, SA or Brazilian variant. It can only tell you if you have a variant already known and included in the test (they have said they will add variants as they become known – I shall stick to the three and keep to the name of where they were first identified for simplicity, rather than use other nomenclature B117 etc.).
So, I assume the result may come back as, for example, A: negative (you don’t have Covid), B: Kent, C: SA, D: Brazilian and E: Unknown
This last bit is critical. If it is able to do this (sate positive but unknown), and I see know reason why it shouldn’t (as current test picks up Covid positive without being able to tell you what variant), this will be a no-brainer.
Any test showing E (unknown) would then be sent to Cog UK for full sequencing.
If this is indeed the case, this will be absolutely massive for Novacyt – instead of testing randomly 10%, CogUK will just test the ones that SNPsig designate as unknown. That way every single PCR test done using SNPsig (rather than current/basic RT-PCR tests) will show which variant and all unknowns will be properly sequenced for further mutations. CogUk won’t be sequencing a whole load of tests at random that don’t need to be, as they will already be known and identified by SNPsig; governments and scientists will be able to track the spread of each mutation; and in this way, Cog UK can focus on sequencing just unknown tests rather than picking at random.
Keeping the faith and joining the dots… £1bn, SP £15 got to be coming pretty son now – GLA and DYOR, of course!
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