Role of Rapid Antigen Testing in Population-Based SARS-CoV-2 Screening
This study evaluates a population-based screening of asymptomatic people, using a rapid antigen diagnostic test (RADT), in areas of high transmission. To detect sources of SARS-CoV-2 infection, nasopharyngeal samples were taken and were tested using RADT. Confirmatory RT-qPCR tests were performed in...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-08-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/10/17/3854 |
| _version_ | 1797521248287195136 |
|---|---|
| author | Vicente Martín-Sánchez Tania Fernández-Villa Ana Carvajal Urueña Ana Rivero Rodríguez Sofía Reguero Celada Gloria Sánchez Antolín José Pedro Fernández-Vázquez |
| author_facet | Vicente Martín-Sánchez Tania Fernández-Villa Ana Carvajal Urueña Ana Rivero Rodríguez Sofía Reguero Celada Gloria Sánchez Antolín José Pedro Fernández-Vázquez |
| author_sort | Vicente Martín-Sánchez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study evaluates a population-based screening of asymptomatic people, using a rapid antigen diagnostic test (RADT), in areas of high transmission. To detect sources of SARS-CoV-2 infection, nasopharyngeal samples were taken and were tested using RADT. Confirmatory RT-qPCR tests were performed in both positive and negative cases. The internal validity of the RADT, the prevalence of infection, and the positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) were estimated, based on the percentages of confirmed cases with 95% confidence interval. Of the 157,920 people registered, 50,492 participated in the screening; 50,052 were negative, and 440 were positive on the RADT (0.87%). A total of 221 positive RADT samples were reanalysed using RT-qPCR and 214 were confirmed as positive (96.8%; 95% CI: 93.5–98.7%), while 657 out of 660 negative RADT samples were confirmed as RT-qPCR negative (99.5%; 95% CI 98.7–99.9%). The sensitivity obtained was 65.1% (38.4–90.2%) and the specificity was 99.97% (99.94–99.99%). The prevalence of infection was 1.30% (0.95–2.13%). The PPVs were 95.4% (85.9–98.9%) and 97.9% (93.3–99.5%), respectively, while the NPVs were 99.7% (99.4–100%) and 99.2% (98.7–100%), respectively. The high specificity found allow us to report a high screening performance in asymptomatic patients, even in areas where the prevalence of infection was less than 2%. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:09:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8854fd119a2f4c87b2e1f19efdacc17d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0383 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:09:53Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-8854fd119a2f4c87b2e1f19efdacc17d2023-11-22T10:48:20ZengMDPI AGJournal of Clinical Medicine2077-03832021-08-011017385410.3390/jcm10173854Role of Rapid Antigen Testing in Population-Based SARS-CoV-2 ScreeningVicente Martín-Sánchez0Tania Fernández-Villa1Ana Carvajal Urueña2Ana Rivero Rodríguez3Sofía Reguero Celada4Gloria Sánchez Antolín5José Pedro Fernández-Vázquez6Research Group on Gene-Environment Interactions and Health (GIIGAS), Institute of Biomedicine (IBIOMED), Universidad de León, 24071 León, SpainResearch Group on Gene-Environment Interactions and Health (GIIGAS), Institute of Biomedicine (IBIOMED), Universidad de León, 24071 León, SpainAnimal Health Department, Universidad de León, 24071 León, SpainGerencia de Atención Primaria, 24008 León, SpainGerencia de Atención Primaria, 24008 León, SpainCastilla y Leon Health Department, Universidad de Valladolid, 47002 Valladolid, SpainGerencia de Atención Primaria, 24008 León, SpainThis study evaluates a population-based screening of asymptomatic people, using a rapid antigen diagnostic test (RADT), in areas of high transmission. To detect sources of SARS-CoV-2 infection, nasopharyngeal samples were taken and were tested using RADT. Confirmatory RT-qPCR tests were performed in both positive and negative cases. The internal validity of the RADT, the prevalence of infection, and the positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) were estimated, based on the percentages of confirmed cases with 95% confidence interval. Of the 157,920 people registered, 50,492 participated in the screening; 50,052 were negative, and 440 were positive on the RADT (0.87%). A total of 221 positive RADT samples were reanalysed using RT-qPCR and 214 were confirmed as positive (96.8%; 95% CI: 93.5–98.7%), while 657 out of 660 negative RADT samples were confirmed as RT-qPCR negative (99.5%; 95% CI 98.7–99.9%). The sensitivity obtained was 65.1% (38.4–90.2%) and the specificity was 99.97% (99.94–99.99%). The prevalence of infection was 1.30% (0.95–2.13%). The PPVs were 95.4% (85.9–98.9%) and 97.9% (93.3–99.5%), respectively, while the NPVs were 99.7% (99.4–100%) and 99.2% (98.7–100%), respectively. The high specificity found allow us to report a high screening performance in asymptomatic patients, even in areas where the prevalence of infection was less than 2%.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/10/17/3854SARS-CoV-2screeningantigen |
| spellingShingle | Vicente Martín-Sánchez Tania Fernández-Villa Ana Carvajal Urueña Ana Rivero Rodríguez Sofía Reguero Celada Gloria Sánchez Antolín José Pedro Fernández-Vázquez Role of Rapid Antigen Testing in Population-Based SARS-CoV-2 Screening Journal of Clinical Medicine SARS-CoV-2 screening antigen |
| title | Role of Rapid Antigen Testing in Population-Based SARS-CoV-2 Screening |
| title_full | Role of Rapid Antigen Testing in Population-Based SARS-CoV-2 Screening |
| title_fullStr | Role of Rapid Antigen Testing in Population-Based SARS-CoV-2 Screening |
| title_full_unstemmed | Role of Rapid Antigen Testing in Population-Based SARS-CoV-2 Screening |
| title_short | Role of Rapid Antigen Testing in Population-Based SARS-CoV-2 Screening |
| title_sort | role of rapid antigen testing in population based sars cov 2 screening |
| topic | SARS-CoV-2 screening antigen |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/10/17/3854 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vicentemartinsanchez roleofrapidantigentestinginpopulationbasedsarscov2screening AT taniafernandezvilla roleofrapidantigentestinginpopulationbasedsarscov2screening AT anacarvajaluruena roleofrapidantigentestinginpopulationbasedsarscov2screening AT anariverorodriguez roleofrapidantigentestinginpopulationbasedsarscov2screening AT sofiareguerocelada roleofrapidantigentestinginpopulationbasedsarscov2screening AT gloriasanchezantolin roleofrapidantigentestinginpopulationbasedsarscov2screening AT josepedrofernandezvazquez roleofrapidantigentestinginpopulationbasedsarscov2screening |