{"id":605324,"date":"2021-07-28T18:05:33","date_gmt":"2021-07-28T22:05:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=605324"},"modified":"2021-07-28T18:05:35","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T22:05:35","slug":"fact-check-did-the-cdc-say-pcr-tests-do-not-distinguish-between-covid-19-and-the-flu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fact-check-did-the-cdc-say-pcr-tests-do-not-distinguish-between-covid-19-and-the-flu\/","title":{"rendered":"FACT CHECK: Did The CDC Say PCR Tests Do Not Distinguish Between COVID-19 And The Flu?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffact-check-did-the-cdc-say-pcr-tests-do-not-distinguish-between-covid-19-and-the-flu%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=605324&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/COVID-Tetsing-Getty-scaled-e1627415585753.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p>A post&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/alexandertim\/posts\/10225580314991176\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/alexandertim\/posts\/10225580314991176&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1627484406327000&amp;usg=AFQjCNF5lqUmYmdMhZQFiXjwBYZNXdlBfQ\">shared on Facebook<\/a> claims the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests do not distinguish between COVID-19 and the flu.<\/p>\n<p><span><strong>Verdict: False<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The CDC did not announce that PCR tests could not tell the difference between COVID-19 and the flu. The agency withdrew the emergency use authorization (EUA) request for its PCR test in favor of newer, multiplexed tests.<\/p>\n<p><span><strong>Fact Check:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>PCR tests are a form of diagnostic test for COVID-19, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/consumers\/consumer-updates\/coronavirus-disease-2019-testing-basics#:~:text=There%20are%20two%20different%20types,tests%20and%20antibody%20tests.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Food and Drug Administration<\/a> (FDA). The Cleveland Clinic <a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/diagnostics\/21462-covid-19-and-pcr-testing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">describes<\/a> the tests as the \u201cmost accurate and reliable test for diagnosing COVID-19.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A July 26 Facebook post reads \u201cPCR tests DON\u2019T differentiate between covid and the flu,\u201d and cites the information as coming from the CDC.<strong>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/checkyourfact.com\/2021\/05\/31\/fact-check-sweden-stop-pcr-tests-covid-19\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(RELATED: Did Sweden Stop Using PCR Tests To Diagnose COVID-19?)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There is, however, no evidence the CDC has made such an announcement. Check Your Fact searched the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/search.cdc.gov\/search\/index.html?query=PCR+test&amp;sitelimit=&amp;utf8=%E2%9C%93&amp;affiliate=cdc-main\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CDC\u2019s website<\/a>&nbsp;and did not find any evidence that it said PCR tests could not tell the difference between SARS-CoV-2 and the flu. Had the CDC said PCR tests were ineffective, media outlets certainly would have reported on it, yet <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=cdc+pcr+tests+flu+and+covid&amp;source=lnms&amp;tbm=nws&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwixvc-6rIbyAhV3lWoFHWzgCG0Q_AUoA3oECAEQBQ&amp;biw=1440&amp;bih=821&amp;dpr=2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">none<\/a> have.<\/p>\n<p>The CDC stated in a July 21 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/csels\/dls\/locs\/2021\/07-21-2021-lab-alert-Changes_CDC_RT-PCR_SARS-CoV-2_Testing_1.html\">announcement<\/a> it was withdrawing the EUA for its 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel, which was first used in February 2020.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlthough the CDC 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019 nCoV) Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel met an important unmet need when it was developed and deployed and has not demonstrated any performance issues, the demand for this test has declined with the emergence of other higher-throughput and multiplexed assays,\u201d CDC spokesperson Jade Fulce said in an email to Check Your Fact.<\/p>\n<p>The claim appears to stem from a misunderstanding of part of the announcement where the agency <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/csels\/dls\/locs\/2021\/07-21-2021-lab-alert-Changes_CDC_RT-PCR_SARS-CoV-2_Testing_1.html\">stated<\/a> laboratories and testing sites should use other FDA-authorized COVID-19 tests. It further said laboratories should \u201cconsider adoption of a multiplexed method that can facilitate detection and differentiation of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses.\u201d This means that the CDC recommends that laboratories use tests that can look for both viruses, as the CDC\u2019s Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel can only detect SARS-Cov-2.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a very accurate test that will save both time and resources for the lab,\u201d Fulce said. \u201cThe SARS-CoV-2 (Flu SC2) Multiplex Assay tests for SARS-CoV-2 and for influenza, independently. The test will specify whether a sample tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, influenza or both.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other Facebook posts have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/wcrtryan\/posts\/10165654300680245\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">claimed<\/a> the FDA withdrew the EUA for PCR tests because it could not distinguish between the flu and COVID-19. This is also false, and the FDA has not made such an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/news-events\/fda-newsroom\/press-announcements\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">announcement<\/a>, either.<\/p>\n<p>Jim McKinney, a spokesperson for the FDA, told Check Your Fact in an email that PCR tests remain the \u201cgold standard\u201d for COVID-19 diagnosis.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe FDA has not issued any statement questioning the reliability of PCR test results in general and will continue to consider authorization for validated PCR tests,\u201d McKinney said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A post\u00a0shared on Facebook claims the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests do not distinguish between COVID-19 and the flu.Verdict: False The CDC &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-605324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/605324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=605324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/605324\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=605324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=605324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=605324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}