An evaluation of a rapid antigen test carried out by America’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention found it caught around one-third as many asymptomatic covid-19 cases as PCRs did
of covid-19 sweeps the country. Greater use of such tests would more closely align America’s covid-19 strategy to that in other developed countries. Britain, which started providing free lateral-flow test kits to the general public in April 2021, has the biggest testing programme in Europe. But increasing demand for rapid tests and supply-chain disruptions are creatingworldwide. In the weeks before Christmas pharmacies globally complained of delayed shipments.
Two big advantages of lateral-flow tests are their speed and simplicity. They provide results within ten to 30 minutes, and can be easily performed outside a laboratory, unlike PCR tests, which look for the virus’s entire genetic sequence rather than its antigens and can take days for a result. They are also cheaper than PCR tests , those sold in America are often pricier than in Europe). To judge their accuracy, scientists look at two elements: specificity and sensitivity .
An evaluation of a rapid antigen test carried out by America's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention found it caught around one-third as many asymptomatic covid-19 cases as PCRs did. In a study in Liverpool, in Britain, the sensitivity of one LFT on the market was 40%. A separate study in Denmark, meanwhile, found their sensitivity to be closer to 70%. Another problem is that for the test to work properly the sample probe has to go sufficiently deep into the throat or the nose.
The data show LFTs are best at identifying highly infectious individuals. This makes them useful in the fight against covid-19, even if they are not perfect. The earlier cases are detected, the
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