The use of rapid antigenic tests (Ag-RDTs) to diagnose a SARS-CoV-2 infection has become a common practice recently. This study aimed to evaluate performance of Abbott Panbio TM Ag-RDTs with regard to nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) in the early stages of the disease. A cohort of 149,026 infected symptomatic patients, reported in Catalonia from November 2020 to January 2021, was selected. The positivity rates of the two tests were compared with respect to the dates of symptom onset. Ag-RDTs presented positivity rates of 84% in the transmission phases of the disease and 31% in the pre-symptomatic period, compared to 93% and 91%, respectively, for NAAT. The detection of many false negatives with Ag-RDTs during the pre-symptomatic period demonstrates the risk of virus dissemination with this diagnostic technique if used outside the symptomatic period.
【저자키워드】 SARS-COV-2 infection, Surveillance, antigen test, pre-symptomatic, symptomatic, positivity rate, 【초록키워드】 SARS-COV-2 infection, diagnostic, risk, Transmission, virus, nucleic acid, Cohort, Symptomatic patients, rapid antigenic test, NAAT, false negatives, nucleic acid amplification testing, nucleic acid amplification, dissemination, Ag-RDT, early stage, diagnose, False negative, RDTs, Abbott, symptom onset, Ag-RDTs, early stages, PanBio, rapid antigenic tests, evaluate, reported, the disease, was selected, 【제목키워드】 SARS-CoV2, Ag-RDT, performance, identification,