![]() ![]() The problem is compounded by the fact that some people are deliberately misrepresenting how PCR tests work, says Timothy Caulfield, a Canada research chair in health law and policy at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. ![]() Timothy Caulfield, a Canada research chair in health law and policy at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, says some people are deliberately misrepresenting how PCR tests work, which 'fits so well' into a broader conspiracy theory about the pandemic. These are biases that we all have to deal with. "I'm not accusing other people of being dumb or stupid or ignorant. Molecular biology is complicated, and Jarry said it's easy for people to pick up on a tidbit of information that, in itself, is true but then jump to much larger conclusions that are not accurate. One of the most common false claims is that PCR tests are prone to huge numbers of false positives, and this is often rooted in a misunderstanding of how the tests work, says Jonathan Jarry, a biological scientist with McGill University's Office for Science and Society in Montreal. ![]() These claims have circulated on social media since the beginning of the pandemic and have been repeatedly debunked, but nevertheless they persist in a variety of forums. Infectious disease experts are again pushing back against "armchair" molecular biologists who continue to make false claims about PCR tests - the primary method for diagnosing COVID-19. ![]()
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