[g3e0]

I believe the source of that quote comes from this Q&A session with Kary Mullis, the inventor of PCR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT3IqZjT_9A

The relevant quotes from Kary are:

"With PCR, if you do it well, you can find almost anything, in anybody"

"If you can amplify one single molecule up to something that you can really measure - which PCR can do - then there's just.. very few molecules that you don't have at least one single one of them in your body"

"It doesn't tell you that you're sick"

My interpretation is that Kary Mullis did believe it was at least possible to "misinterpret" the results of a PCR test. It doesn't seem such a stretch to believe that you could be sick with the flu, while also having a single molecule of a coronavirus gene present in your nasal cavity (triggering a positive coronavirus test).

Note: I know this is an inflammatory topic. The views of Kary Mullis are not necessarily my own. I am posting this here because I think it is interesting.

[markus92]

That's why there's digital qPCR now, testing has come a long way since 1993. Larger targets etc.