Copies – term used for viral load data

[Gunther Schadow]

Claire Marie West (clairemwest) proposed in #69 to add Copies – term used for viral load data

[Gunther Schadow]

I have long seen this unit and struggled to find in it anything else but a count-noun, which should not get a unit symbol lest we create units for every thing under the sun. However, it is relevant enough in clinical medicine.

So can we begin by collecting the authoritative literature please?

Is there other normative reference by IFCC for example?

[Gunther Schadow]

This one I would also "just do" but I am concerned about the lack of a good definition. Don't want to do anything that is just wrong. And because it is used across the board in PCR analysis, it needs to be right when we put it in. So holding it back, leaving it open.

[Gunther Schadow]

These copies and log copies are a problem. We need expertise or a good metrologically oriented discussion paper on this.

#90, #143, #165, #173

[Simon Cox]

Yes, even the Wikipedia article ​https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_load#Measuring has no citation - that is relatively unusual. I guess they all think it is well-known or trivial. But I agree that it is clearly a widely used 'unit' so probably warrants an entry in UCUM. Maybe [copies]?