Are rapid antigen detection tests capable of detect different SARS-COV-2 variants?
Main Article Content
Abstract
Rapid Antigen Detection Tests can be a good approach to in time SARS-CoV-2 detection as they are easy to use and provide a result in few minutes. However, they have shown to have lower sensitivities than desirable for a diagnostic technique that has come to be used for mass screening. With the aim of continuing to define the limits of RAgDT, their possible variability of sensitivity has been analysed against different variants of SARS-CoV-2.
In this study, three different Tests from different manufacturers (Abbott, Roche and Lambra) were tested with a set of 100 nasopharyngeal samples, of which 93 were determined as positive by RT-qPCR and 7 as negative.
Total sensitivities were: 72.04% for Abbott and 59.14% both for Roche and Lambra. Attending to variants, the three with higher sensitivity were: Alfa, Omicron and Delta (Abbott); Alfa, Omicron and Mu (Roche) and Alfa, Beta and Gamma (Lambra).
Results show great variability between the tests analysed, which reinforces the idea that any negative diagnosis made with them should be taken with caution, especially in seasons of alternating circulation of variants.
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