Separation of Plasma from Whole Blood by Use of the cobas Plasma Separation Card: a Compelling Alternative to Dried Blood Spots for Quantification of HIV-1 Viral Load

= 0.90). PSC results were unaffected by temperature and storage conditions. PSC samples correlate well with plasma viral load and have adequate sensitivity and specificity. The improved performance may be as a result of a reduction in contribution from cell-associated viral nucleic acids. The card provides an alternative sample collection technology to DBSs.