Potential Use of Antigen-Based Rapid Test for SARS-CoV-2 in Respiratory Specimens in Low-Resource Settings in Egypt for Symptomatic Patients and High-Risk Contacts.
Lab Med
; 52(2): e46-e49, 2021 Mar 15.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1214639
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
Because of the rapidly emerging SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and its wide public health challenges, rapid diagnosis is essential to decrease the spread. Antigen-based rapid detection tests are available; however, insufficient data about their performance are available.METHODS:
The lateral-flow immunochromatographic BIOCREDIT COVID-19 antigen test was evaluated using nasopharyngeal swabs in a viral transport medium from patients with confirmed infection, contacts, and exposed healthcare professionals at Fayoum University Hospital in Egypt. Test performance was determined in comparison to the SARS-CoV-2 real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test.RESULTS:
Three hundred ten specimens from 3 categories-patients with confirmed diagnoses of COVID-19, contacts, and exposed healthcare professionals-were included; 188 specimens were RT-PCR-positive, from which 81 were detected by rapid antigen test. Overall sensitivity was 43.1%. Sensitivity was significantly higher in specimens with high viral loads.CONCLUSION:
Poor sensitivity of the BIOCREDIT COVID-19 test does not permit its use for diagnosis, and it can only be used in conjunction with RT-PCR for screening.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Immunoassay
/
COVID-19 Serological Testing
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Diagnostic study
/
Experimental Studies
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Africa
Language:
English
Journal:
Lab Med
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Labmed
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