Omicron Tends To Go Unnoticed In Rapid Antigen Test Kits
Preliminary results from a study conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) showed that home-based rapid diagnostic COVID-19 antigen test kits were more likely to be “false- negative” results against the omichronous variant of the coronavirus than other known strains.
Researchers in the United States analyzed samples from Omicron-confirmed patients using rapid antigen test kits for home diagnosis of coronavirus to determine the accuracy of those kits. They concluded that the sensitivity of these kits to the Omicron variant is decreased and there is a high probability that they will miss the infection or give a false negative result.
In an official statement, the FDA recommended that people continue to use rapid diagnostic test kits for the COVID-19 antigen at home, although they are less sensitive and less likely to detect infection early compared to testing.
The FDA has also asked people to self-isolate and do a PCR test in case they get negative on rapid antigen tests but continue to show symptoms of the coronavirus.
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Gigi Gronvall, a senior researcher at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Safety, commented on the research, saying the study results had once again highlighted the challenge of the ever-changing coronavirus and urged drug companies to ensure the test kits are up and running. against all variants.
With the rise of the variant of Omicron worldwide, including in the United States, the demand for rapid COVID-19 antigen diagnostic test kits for home use has exploded.
This is because rapid antigen tests can be done at home to detect infection within minutes, while PCR tests take longer to diagnose infection and can only be done in the laboratory.
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