ArticleEBioMedicine2024
SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid detection tests: test performance during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of COVID-19 vaccination.
Article in EBioMedicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- Universal SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR admission screening over 21 months in a German tertiary care hospital: detection of asymptomatic infections.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Prevalence and determinants of tuberculosis and COVID-19 among patients with presumptive tuberculosis in a Nigerian tertiary hospital.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Risk of Infections Among Contacts of COVID-19 Cases in the Healthcare Setting: Experience of One University Hospital.Epidemiologia (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Comparison of the analytical and clinical sensitivities of 34 rapid antigen tests with prevalent SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.Microbiology spectrum · 2025Article
- Real-World Performance of COVID-19 Antigen Tests: Predictive Modeling and Laboratory-Based Validation.JMIRx med · 2025Article
- Frequency, lethality, and demographic trends of acute respiratory viruses in hospitalized patients: insights from a German tertiary care hospital from july 2022 to april 2023.BMC infectious diseases · 2025Article
- A policy roadmap for sustainable mass-testing.Health affairs scholar · 2025Article
- Diagnostic Performance of a Combined Rapid Antigen Test for Detecting SARS-CoV-2, Influenza Virus, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Symptomatic Patients in Tertiary Care.Journal of medical virology · 2025Article
- Comparative Analysis of RT-PCR and a Colloidal Gold Immunochromatographic Assay for SARS-CoV-2 Detection.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Correlation of COVID-19 vaccination and RT-PCR ct value among cases in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: implication for future preparedness.BMC infectious diseases · 2024Article
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22 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundSARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid detection tests (RDTs) emerged as point-of-care diagnostics alongside reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) as reference.
methodsIn a prospective performance assessment from 12 November 2020 to 30 June 2023 at a single centre tertiary care hospital, the sensitivity and specificity (primary endpoints) of RDTs from three manufacturers (NADAL®, Panbio™, MEDsan®) were compared to RT-qPCR as reference standard among patients, accompanying persons and staff aged ≥ six month in large-scale, clinical screening use. Regression models were used to assess influencing factors on RDT performance (secondary endpoints).
findingsAmong 78,798 paired RDT/RT-qPCR results analysed, overall RDT sensitivity was 34.5% (695/2016; 95% CI 32.4-36.6%), specificity 99.6% (76,503/76,782; 95% CI 99.6-99.7%). Over the pandemic course, sensitivity decreased in line with a lower rate of individuals showing typical COVID-19 symptoms. The lasso regression model showed that a higher viral load and typical COVID-19 symptoms were directly significantly correlated with the likelihood of a positive RDT result in SARS-CoV-2 infection, whereas age, sex, vaccination status, and the Omicron VOC were not.
interpretationThe decline in RDT sensitivity throughout the pandemic can primarily be attributed to the reduced prevalence of symptomatic infections among vaccinated individuals and individuals infected with Omicron VOC. RDTs remain valuable for detecting SARS-CoV-2 in symptomatic individuals and offer potential for detecting other respiratory pathogens in the post-pandemic era, underscoring their importance in infection control efforts.
fundingGerman Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Free State of Bavaria, Bavarian State Ministry of Health and Care.
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