What You should know about Rapid COVID-19 Testing

With the continuation of novel coronavirus vaccine trials, the testing for SARS-CoV-2 is improving at a greater pace. Specifically, there has been much development in the rapid COVID-19 tests that can identify the presence of active infections. These new tests can cut back on the long wait times that many people face for COVID-19 testing. The waiting time has hampered people’s ability to know whether they need to quarantine themselves from others. This testing is vital some people do not detect any symptoms of COVID-19. Rapid testing is quite appealing since obtaining quick results means a person knows sooner if they have to isolate to prevent the spread of this deadly virus to others.

COVID-19 Tests

There are three kinds of COVID-19 tests:

• Genetic or molecular tests are extremely accurate and comprise of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction or RT-PCR test. This will detect ribonucleic acid (RNA) from nasal swab or saliva.
• Antigen tests enable to detect specific proteins on the surface of virus.
• Antibody tests can help to determine if the person had the virus, however it won’t spot active infection.

Rapid RT-PCR Tests

As SARS-CoV-2 genome is made of RNA, you have to convert it into DNA and then run a polymerase chain reaction on it. Polymerase chain reaction or PCR is a technique that amplifies DNA and the enzyme that converts RNA genome into DNA is known as “reverse transcriptase” or RT. If you need to test the virus, you should conduct reverse transcriptase and then PCR or RT-PCR test. Rapid tests, also called point-of-care tests, can be done anywhere, even at home. Rapid molecular or RT-PCR tests means  cobas by Roche, ID NOW by Abbott, Cue COVID-19 Test by Cue Health, Accula by Mesa Biotech and Xpert Xpress by Cepheid.

Rapid antigen tests

Rapid antigen tests can help to detect the signs if someone has protein segments or antigens for SARS-CoV-2. These tests are less sensitive in comparison to an RT-PCR test. These antigen tests won’t point out if a person is in the middle of an active infection. Abbott’s BinaxNow, BD’s Veritor, Quidel’s Sofia and the LumiraDx are rapid antigen tests.

Advances in rapid testing

The medical experts are working to create rapid tests for COVID-19 that people can take before traveling so that they can prevent quarantine when arriving to a new place. A 90-minute COVID-19 test called the CovidNudge produced by DnaNudge is in use. As per a study on the nasal swab test, it was found the RT-PCR test has not less than 94 percent sensitivity and 100 percent specificity. Hence, it was accurate, did not produce false positives and few false negatives.

More COVID-19 developments

The FDA has issued an emergency use authorization for the BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card. This is a rapid antigen test and so, it is not so much accurate like a RT-PCR test. Several tests have obtained funding through the National Institutes of Health (NIH)’s Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) program that aims to speed innovations in private COVID-19 testing. RADx gave an award to Mesa Biotech for a handheld RT-PCR test that can use a single-use cartridge and deliver results within 30 minutes. Another award had gone to Quidel Corporation for a 15-minute test that had been specified for nursing homes.

At-home testing device might broaden access to testing greatly in case they are sold at the drug stores which are similar to over-the-counter pregnancy tests. According to some experts, the highly accessible testing might slow down the pandemic. But it is not clear whether consumers would extensively adopt at-home testing as they’d probably pay out-of-pocket for the tests. Clinical trials are now being conducted on the ICHORtec, a rapid testing system that will identify the presence of active SARS-CoV-2 infection and antibodies in non-laboratory settings for 3 minutes.

COVID-19 testing evolution

On September 22, TCA/GENETWORx Labs has declared its new saliva RT-PCR test that ensures the results can be delivered within 48 hours of testing. It is not the first saliva test and there are other tests too. In August, there had been an emergency use authorization granted by FDA for the SalivaDirect test from Yale University. SalivaDirect is not at all an at-home test and so, it should be performed at the laboratory.

Trouble with rapid tests

The new rapid tests are usually less accurate and most evidence on antigen test effectiveness had been demonstrated under ideal conditions. Accuracy can help to lessen when the tests are performed outside the clinical setting. Hence, you should consider that organising largely inaccurate tests might wear down public health authorities, medicine and science.

Regarding the improvement about private COVID-19 testing in UK, there are preventative measures and a vaccine as both of them can lessen the need for testing. There is no panacea on the horizon which means a test is absolutely free, extremely fast, and perfectly accurate.