Compared with other COVID-19 detection methods, the RT-PCR detection kits have the following main advantages:

Accurate Detection of Samples with Low Viral Load: The RT-PCR technique can detect extremely low concentrations of the COVID-19 virus RNA. In the early stage of infection, the viral load in patients’ bodies may be low. At this time, other detection methods may not be able to accurately detect the virus due to insufficient sensitivity. For example, in some asymptomatic carriers or patients in the incubation period, the amount of virus replication in the body is relatively small, but the RT-PCR test still has a relatively high probability of detecting the presence of the virus, which helps in the early detection of potential infected individuals.
Reliability in Detecting Trace Amounts of Virus: It also performs well in the detection of environmental samples. When conducting environmental monitoring in places such as hospitals and public transportation vehicles, even if the samples contain only a tiny amount of viral RNA, the RT-PCR detection kits can detect it relatively reliably, which is of great significance for assessing the risk of environmental transmission.

Accurate Identification of the COVID-19 Virus: The RT-PCR test is designed with primers and probes based on the specific gene sequences of the COVID-19 virus, enabling it to accurately identify the COVID-19 virus and avoid cross-reactions with other common respiratory viruses (such as influenza viruses and respiratory syncytial viruses). This high specificity makes the test results more accurate and reduces the probability of false positives. In the situation where multiple viruses are prevalent simultaneously, it can effectively distinguish COVID-19 infection from other similar diseases.
Providing Precise Basis for Subsequent Prevention and Control Measures: The accurate test results allow public health departments and medical institutions to take targeted prevention and control and treatment measures according to the actual situation of COVID-19 infection, such as precisely isolating confirmed patients and tracing close contacts, avoiding wasting resources or causing the spread of the epidemic due to misjudgment.

Compatibility with Multiple Sample Types: The RT-PCR detection kits can be used to detect multiple sample types, including nasopharyngeal swabs, oropharyngeal swabs, sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, blood, feces, etc. Different sample types are suitable for different detection scenarios and patient conditions. For example, for some patients who cannot have their pharyngeal swabs collected effectively (such as young children or patients with respiratory diseases that make sampling difficult), blood or feces samples can be considered for detection, thus improving the flexibility and applicability of the test.
Good Adaptability to Different Detection Environments: Whether in a professional laboratory environment, or in some certified mobile testing laboratories or temporary testing sites, as long as the basic nucleic acid extraction and PCR amplification equipment is available, the RT-PCR detection kits can be used for testing. This wide adaptability to the detection environment enables it to play a role in epidemic prevention and control in different regions around the world, including areas with relatively scarce medical resources.

Reliability of the Methodology: The RT-PCR technique is a mature molecular biology technique that has been widely used in gene detection, pathogen detection, and other fields for many years. Its detection principle and process have undergone long-term verification and optimization, and the test results have a high degree of credibility. Scientists and clinical doctors are quite familiar with this technique and also have relatively rich experience in result interpretation and subsequent processing.
Standardized Operating Procedures and Quality Control Systems: The World Health Organization (WHO) and the health agencies of various countries have all formulated standard operating procedures and quality control norms for COVID-19 detection based on the RT-PCR technique. This makes the test results among different laboratories comparable, which is conducive to the aggregation and analysis of data, and also facilitates the supervision and management of the test quality to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the test.