Early detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are priorities during the pandemic. Symptomatic and suspected asymptomatic individuals should be tested for COVID-19 to confirm infection and to be excluded from social interactions. As molecular testing capacity is overloaded during the pandemic, rapid antigen tests, such as lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs), can be a useful tool as they allow greater test availability and obtain results in a very short time. This short review aims to present the analytical properties of LFIAs in the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal swabs. Lateral flow immunoassay is a method that combines thin-layer chromatography and indirect immunochemical sandwich method and allows the detection of a specific SARS-CoV-2 antigen in nasopharyngeal swabs. Swab specimens should be adequately collected and tested as soon as possible. Users should pay attention to quality control and possible interferences. Antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 show high sensitivity and specificity in cases with high viral loads, and should be used up to five days after the onset of the first symptoms of COVID-19. False positive results may be obtained when screening large populations with a low prevalence of COVID-19 infection, while false negative results may happen due to improper specimen collection or insufficient amount of antigen in the specimen. So as to achieve reliable results, a diagnostic accuracy study of a specific rapid antigen test should be performed.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, immunoassay, SARS-COV-2 antigen testing, nasopharynx, 【초록키워드】 coronavirus disease, SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, pandemic, Infection, diagnostic, Diagnosis, Population, Antigen, lateral flow immunoassay, Rapid antigen tests, Accuracy, Sensitivity and specificity, nasopharyngeal swabs, antigen test, Early detection, LFIA, SARS-CoV-2 antigen, molecular, Quality control, interactions, user, acute respiratory syndrome, positive result, viral loads, specimen, LFIAs, FIVE, asymptomatic individual, greater, tested, performed, collected, false negative result, excluded, first symptom, immunochemical, Lateral, prevalence of COVID-19, 【제목키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, Nasopharyngeal swab, lateral flow immunoassay, current,