Low sensitivity of the COVID-19 antigen test (PANBIO™ COVID-19 Ag rapid test) to detect asymptomatic infections in health personnel of the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases

Eduardo Becerril Vargas; Gabriel Cojuc-Konigsberg; Mario Alberto Mujica Sánchez; María Del Carmen García Colín; Daniel Alfredo Camacho Corral; Hugo Hansel Chávez Morales; José Nicolas Aguirre Pineda; Eduardo Martínez Bravo; Alejandro Ortiz Martínez; José Arturo Martínez Orozco; Victor Manuel Rodríguez-Sánchez; Jesús Ariel Mariscal Ochoa; Brian Pantoja Jiménez; Israel A Morales Lozada; Andrea Iraís Cuevas Rodriguez

doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.977924

Low sensitivity of the COVID-19 antigen test (PANBIO™ COVID-19 Ag rapid test) to detect asymptomatic infections in health personnel of the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases

Front Med (Lausanne). 2022 Sep 14:9:977924. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.977924. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Eduardo Becerril Vargas¹, Gabriel Cojuc-Konigsberg¹, Mario Alberto Mujica Sánchez¹, María Del Carmen García Colín¹, Daniel Alfredo Camacho Corral¹, Hugo Hansel Chávez Morales¹, José Nicolas Aguirre Pineda¹, Eduardo Martínez Bravo¹, Alejandro Ortiz Martínez¹, José Arturo Martínez Orozco¹, Victor Manuel Rodríguez-Sánchez¹, Jesús Ariel Mariscal Ochoa¹, Brian Pantoja Jiménez¹, Israel A Morales Lozada¹, Andrea Iraís Cuevas Rodriguez¹

Affiliation

¹ Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, National Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Mexico City, Mexico.

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 requires an early diagnosis to optimize management and limit transmission. SARS-CoV-2 is able to spread effectively. Infected asymptomatic individuals have been found to be contagious. RT-qPCR is the currently recommended laboratory method for diagnosing acute infection. However, rapid antigen detection (RAD) tests are not only fast, but require less specialized training. The possibility of using RAD tests to identify asymptomatic patients is attractive, as it could effectively contribute to minimizing the hospital spread of SARS-CoV-2. The objective of the study was to determine the performance of RAD vs. RT-qPCR for the detection of asymptomatic cases in INER health personnel.

Methods: In order to follow WHO guidelines, generalized tests, a test station for health care workers was implemented on demand. A rapid test was carried out and a second sample was taken to be processed by RT-qPCR. With the results of both tests we conducted a retrospective study. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and negative likelihood ratios were calculated.

Results: A total of 1640 RAD tests were performed in health care workers (mean age was 39, 69, 47% with a self-reported comorbidity). Participants provided 1,640 valid RAD/RT-qPCR test pairs with 2% testing positive via RT-qPCR. 12 RAD samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Overall sensitivity of the PANBIO ™ COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test test was 35.2%.

Conclusions: RADs are not recommended for the detection of asymptomatic cases due to low performance.

Keywords: COVID-19; PCR; asymptomatic; detection; rapid antigen tests.

Copyright © 2022 Becerril Vargas, Cojuc-Konigsberg, Alberto Mujica Sánchez, García Colín, Alfredo Camacho Corral, Hansel Chávez Morales, Aguirre Pineda, Martínez Bravo, Ortiz Martínez, Martínez Orozco, Rodríguez-Sánchez, Ochoa, Pantoja Jiménez, Morales Lozada and Cuevas Rodriguez.