Rapid antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2

Information on rapid antigen tests (RATs) for SARS-CoV-2 is presented. RATs detect SARS-CoV-2 antigens in samples from the upper respiratory tract and provide results in 15-30 minutes. Test sensitivities range from 30% to 80%, and specificities range from 98% to 100%, relative to reverse transcripti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCanadian Medical Association journal (CMAJ) Vol. 193; no. 13; p. E447
Main Authors Liu, Michael, Arora, Rahul K., Krajden, Mel
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Canada Elsevier Inc 29.03.2021
Joule Inc
CMA Impact, Inc
Subjects
Antigens
Asymptomatic
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
COVID-19 diagnostic tests
Disease transmission
Humans
Immune system
Infections
Internal Medicine
Mass Screening
Practice
Public Health
SARS-CoV-2
Sensitivity and Specificity
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Testing
Canada
Online AccessGet full text
ISSN0820-3946
1488-2329
1488-2329
DOI10.1503/cmaj.202827

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Summary:Information on rapid antigen tests (RATs) for SARS-CoV-2 is presented. RATs detect SARS-CoV-2 antigens in samples from the upper respiratory tract and provide results in 15-30 minutes. Test sensitivities range from 30% to 80%, and specificities range from 98% to 100%, relative to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RATs can detect infection in people with viral loads that are associated with SARS-CoV-2 transmission, regardless of whether they are symptomatic or not.
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ISSN:0820-3946
1488-2329
1488-2329
DOI:10.1503/cmaj.202827