Medicine and Health

Rapid antigen test as a screening tool for SARS-CoV-2 infection: Head-to-head comparison with qRT-PCR in Ethiopia

D. Gobena, E. K. Gudina, et al.

This research compares the performance of the Panbio™ COVID-19 Ag rapid diagnostic test against the more reliable qRT-PCR for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in Ethiopia. With a sensitivity of only 33.3%, the Ag-RDT shows promise for point-of-care use, but its limitations must be understood. Conducted by a team of researchers including Dabesa Gobena and Esayas Kebede Gudina.

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Playback language: English

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Abstract

This study compared the diagnostic accuracy of the Panbio™ COVID-19 Ag rapid diagnostic test (Ag-RDT) with quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) for detecting SARS-CoV-2 infection in Ethiopia. Among 1364 patients, Ag-RDT showed 33.3% sensitivity and 99.3% specificity. Sensitivity was higher in patients with shortness of breath (73.3%) and those with fever, cough, and dyspnea (71.4%). Ag-RDT positivity correlated with viral load. While Ag-RDT offers a point-of-care option, its low sensitivity limits its use as a standalone diagnostic tool.

Publisher

Heliyon

Published On

Dec 09, 2023

Authors

Dabesa Gobena, Esayas Kebede Gudina, Getu Gebre, Tizta Tilahun Degfie, Fenot Project, Zeleke Mekonnen

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