Sidra Medicine identifies new mutation that may affect Covid-19 testing

Doha: In a collaboration led by teams from Pathology and the Genomics Core at Sidra Medicine, a study has been published about a novel point mutation in the SARS-CoV-2 genome that may affect COVID-19 testing by an FDA-approved test. 

The study calls to action for testing centers worldwide to monitor mutations in the virus and ensure that testing methods are up to date and based on multiple gene targets to avoid possible false-negative results. The findings, which have been published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, highlight Sidra Medicine’s continuing role in supporting global efforts to tackle the pandemic and finding efficient, robust and safe testing methods for COVID-19.