RNA sequence standards in the COVID-19 rRT-PCR test

Public Health England did not have the information requested.

Dear Public Health England,

What synthetic 3'-deoxyribose nucleic acid (RNA) sequence or sequences (e.g. N Gene; Genbank accession: MN908947.2) are used as reference standards in the real time reverse transcriptase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) test or tests, the results (i.e. "COVID cases") of which are reported by the UK Government?

Yours faithfully,

J Grove

FOI, Public Health England

OFFICIAL
Dear J Grove,

We acknowledge receipt of your email and request for information, which will be treated as a request for information under statutory access legislation.

Please note that requests under the Freedom of Information Act and the Environmental Information Regulations (EIRs) will receive a response within 20 working days from the day following the date of receipt of your request.

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Public Health England (PHE) is responsible for providing guidance and advice to government and front-line services for all aspects of public health. It is a designated Category 1 responder organisation under the Civil Contingency Act and this specifically includes the COVID-19 response, providing clinical expertise and wider public health advice and guidance across national and local government, the NHS and third sector. As such, you may experience delays when making statutory information access requests during the pandemic.

We will aim to address all requests promptly and within the required response timeframes. However when we are unable to meet the response timeframe we will keep requesters updated on a revised expected timescale for a response to their request. The Information Commissioner recognises this position in its recent guidance, see link: https://ico.org.uk/global/data-protectio...

Public Accountability Unit
Public Health England
[PHE request email]
Tel: 020 8327 6920
www.gov.uk/phe Follow us on Twitter @PHE uk

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Dear FOI,

For clarification this request should have stated ribonucleic acid (RNA) rather than "3'-deoxyribose nucleic acid (RNA)".

It is the RNA sequence and not any DNA (2'-deoxyribose nucleic acid) sequence that is being requested.

Sorry for the mistake.

Yours sincerely,

J Grove

FOI, Public Health England

OFFICIAL
Dear J Grove,

Thank you for the clarification of Freedom of Information (FOI) request, case reference 2061. The FOI request has been updated per your email below and will be responded accordingly.

We acknowledge receipt of your email and request for information, which will be treated as a request for information under statutory access legislation.

Please note that requests under the Freedom of Information Act and the Environmental Information Regulations (EIRs) will receive a response within 20 working days from the day following the date of receipt of your request.

If the request is for your personal data, your request has been handled as a data subject access request (SAR) under Article 15 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), then we will respond within one month of the receipt of the request.

Public Health England (PHE) is responsible for providing guidance and advice to government and front-line services for all aspects of public health. It is a designated Category 1 responder organisation under the Civil Contingency Act and this specifically includes the COVID-19 response, providing clinical expertise and wider public health advice and guidance across national and local government, the NHS and third sector. As such, you may experience delays when making statutory information access requests during the pandemic.

We will aim to address all requests promptly and within the required response timeframes. However when we are unable to meet the response timeframe we will keep requesters updated on a revised expected timescale for a response to their request. The Information Commissioner recognises this position in its recent guidance, see link: https://ico.org.uk/global/data-protectio...

Public Accountability Unit
Public Health England
[PHE request email]
Tel: 020 8327 6920
www.gov.uk/phe Follow us on Twitter @PHE uk

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FOI, Public Health England

1 Attachment

OFFICIAL
Dear J Grove,

Please find attached Public Health England's response to your request.

FOI Team
Public Accountability Unit
Public Health England
[PHE request email]
Tel: 020 8327 6920
www.gov.uk/phe Follow us on Twitter @PHE uk

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