More about the role and value of antigen tests
In CoVID-19, high viral loads are increasingly being reported as an indicator of disease severity and infectivity. 100% reliance on PCR is being questioned.
These comments are from publications June 2020 onwards;
Duration of infectiousness and correlation with RT-PCR cycle threshold values in cases of COVID-19 in England. August 2020 This study is part of a growing body of evidence linking symptom onset, with PCR ct values and infectiousness'
https://www.cebm.net/study/duration-of-infectiousness-and-correlation-with-rt-pcr-cycle-threshold-values-in-cases-of-covid-19-in-england/
Testing patients and staff without symptoms - Beware of false positive (and negatives)
Comments from the blodg 'Reflections https://reflectionsipc.com/2020/05/21/screening-patients-and-staff-without-symptoms-for-sars-cov-2-beware-false-positives-and-negatives/#more-4560
'SARS-CoV-2 viral load predicts COVID-19 mortality'....
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30354-4/fulltext#%20
'a study indicated that viral loads in severe cases were up to 60 times higher than in mild cases'...
https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa851/5865363
'Admission SARS-CoV-2 viral load, among hospitalized patients with COVID-19, independently correlates with the risk of intubation and in-hospital mortality'....
https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa851/5865363
False- positive CoVID-19 results: hidden problems and costs. September 2020
New assays are often tested under idealised conditions with hospital samples containing higher viral loads than those from asymptomatic individuals living in the community.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30453-7/fulltext
Interpreting a CoVID-19 test result
Disease prevalence can also affect estimates of accuracy
https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1808
More about Coris Bioconcept's Ag Respi Strip
Coris BioConcept - in close collaboration with;
The University Hospital Laboratory of Brussels, the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, the University of Milan and the Institute of Virology in Leipzig and the support of the National Reference Centre for Respiratory Pathogens as well as the laboratory of the University Hospital of Liège
- developed a rapid diagnostic test making it possible to detect the SARS-COV-2 virus in patients with severe infection.
The product gives results in 30 minutes
An algorithm is proposed whereby patients are screened with Ag Respi-Strip. Decisions concerning isolation and cohorting can be made on positive results, negative results are submitted for qPCR.
This test is CE marked and will be an excellent complement to the molecular biology screening methods currently used in hospitals. A paper covering the development and clinical performance of the Ag Respi-Strip assay has been submitted for publication.
Ag-Respi Strip is CE marked.