● Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is a laboratory technique combining reverse transcription of RNA into DNA and amplification of specific DNA targets using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). ● It is primarily used to measure the amount of a specific RNA. ● This is achieved by monitoring the amplification reaction using fluorescence, a technique called real-time PCR or quantitative PCR (qPCR). ● How RT-PCR is used for detecting Covid-19? ◦ The causative agent for Covid19 is the SARS-CoV-2 virus. ◦ It is an RNA virus, that means it infiltrates a healthy cell to multiply and survive. ◦ Thus, the RT-PCR test is for the identification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. ◦ In this, the RNA is converted to DNA through a process called ‘reverse transcription’ for detecting viruses.