It is technically inaccurate on PCR tests. PCR analyzers run as many cycles as you want. If it fails to detect the target genetic code, it is false. If it does detect the code, you then determine at which cycle it was detected and use cutoff value to determine if it is clinically significant.

If it is positive, it did detect the target, so it is technically positive. The clinical significance is more of a judgement call on where to set the threshold.

If that is being set too high, then the issue a new number. The kits are just fine.

WilliamShipley is correct. The pcr test is very clever and very good, it won the Nobel for the inventor.

That the Ct is important is also correct. So important that it is hardly ever (never) given with the test result!
(..ie. detection Yes/No, and the sensitivity of testing was somewhere from a hundred to billions).

The clinical significance is more of a judgement call Exactly.

The pcr test is valuable for detection and tracking even extremely small amount of the virus (or whatever it is that is used as the comparison standard in that machine). It is next to useless for specifying whether a particular individual will get sick - unless the Ct is known and properly interpreted. This never happens.

So the suggestion is, the Ct will continue to be never mentioned, but it will be lowered to give a reasonably reliable indicator. Over the next few months the number of cases drops. Therefore the new policy works. Easy.
(Note- nothing in the real world changes, just the sensitivity of the tests, same number of infections, but the case count changes)

I am of the opinion that this technique is already being for manipulation for reported 'cases'.

What I don't know is - How easy is it to change the Ct?
I'd imagine it would be changeable weekly on each machine.

Oh I love these guys. Notice from the CDC. If you take a Covid test it could be a false positive, or it could be a false negative. Notify your insurance company if you test positive.