Rapid antigen test as a tool for the identification of SARS-CoV-2 infection and its potential as a self-testing device

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Main Authors: Priscilla Soares Filgueiras, Camila Amormino Corsini, Nathalie Bonatti Franco Almeida, Maria Luysa Camargos Pedrosa, Daniel Alvim Pena de Miranda, Sarah Vieira Contin Gomes, Jéssica Vieira de Assis, Raphael Antônio Silva, Maria Izabella Vieira de Assis Rocha Carvalho de Medeiros, Adelina Junia Lourenço, Cecilia Maria Florencio Bicalho, Raquel Virginia Rocha Vilela, Wander de Jesus Jeremias, Gabriel da Rocha Fernandes, Rafaella Fortini Grenfell e Queiroz
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2023
• Subjects: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Rapid test; Antigen test; Self-test; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0167-2022; https://doaj.org/article/425dacc79d564ed1927ff2040d40b7da

ABSTRACT Background: SARS-CoV-2 virus originated in Wuhan (China) in December (2019) and quickly spread worldwide. Antigen tests are rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) that produce results in 15-30 min and are an important tool for the scale-up of COVID-19 testing. COVID-19 diagnostic tests are authorized for self-testing at home in some countries, including Brazil. Widespread COVID-19 diagnostic testing is required to guide public health policies and control the speed of transmission and economic recovery. Methods: Patients with suspected COVID-19 were recruited at the Hospital da Baleia (Belo Horizonte, Brazil). The SARS-CoV-2 antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests were evaluated from June 2020 to June 2021 using saliva, nasal, and nasopharyngeal swab samples from 609 patients. Patient samples were simultaneously tested using a molecular assay (RT-qPCR). Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative predictive values were determined using the statistical program, MedCalc, and GraphPad Prism 8.0. Results: The antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests displayed 98% specificity, 60% sensitivity, 96% positive predictive value, and moderate concordance with RT-qPCR. Substantial agreement was found between the two methods for patients tested < 7 days of symptom onset. Conclusions: Our findings support the use of Ag-RDT as a valuable and safe diagnostic method. Ag-RDT was also demonstrated to be an important triage tool for suspected COVID-19 patients in emergencies. Overall, Ag-RDT is an effective strategy for reducing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and contributing to COVID-19 control.