Application of a SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Immunoassay Based on Active Microfluidic Technology in a Setting of Children and Young Adults
To carry out effective and quick identification of SARS-CoV-2 from nasopharyngeal swabs and contain outbreaks, reliable and rapid tools are needed. Herein, we compared a rapid antigen test based on active microfluidic technology to an RT-qPCR assay in pediatric and young adult patients admitted to t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/16/1/41 |
| _version_ | 1797342461340680192 |
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| author | Christian Leli Lidia Ferrara Paolo Bottino Cristina Bara Iacopo Megna Serena Penpa Enrico Felici Antonio Maconi Andrea Rocchetti |
| author_facet | Christian Leli Lidia Ferrara Paolo Bottino Cristina Bara Iacopo Megna Serena Penpa Enrico Felici Antonio Maconi Andrea Rocchetti |
| author_sort | Christian Leli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | To carry out effective and quick identification of SARS-CoV-2 from nasopharyngeal swabs and contain outbreaks, reliable and rapid tools are needed. Herein, we compared a rapid antigen test based on active microfluidic technology to an RT-qPCR assay in pediatric and young adult patients admitted to the Pediatric Emergency Unit of a Children’s Hospital. Nasopharyngeal swabs collected from patients with suspected COVID-19 disease and from those without COVID-19 related symptoms, but requiring hospitalization, were performed with both antigen test and RT-qPCR assays. We included 375 patients with a median age of 5 years in the study, with an estimated overall prevalence of 7.2%. Overall, we observed a specificity of 97.4% (95% CI: 94.9–98.7) and a sensitivity of 66.6% (95% CI: 46.0–82.7) with a positive likelihood ratio (LR+) of 25.8 (95% CI: 12.8–51.8). In the subgroup of symptomatic patients, the specificity and the sensitivity were 95.2% (95% CI: 89.4–98.0) and 80.0% (95% CI: 44.2–96.5) respectively; LR+ was 16.6 (95% CI: 7.19–38.6). In the asymptomatic subset, the performance showed a specificity of 98.7% (95% CI: 95.8–99.7), a sensitivity of 58.8% (95% CI: 33.5–80.6), and an LR+ of 43.7 (95% CI: 13.3–144.0). Compared to RT-qPCR, the new microfluidic-based antigen test showed higher specificity (>95%) in the pediatric population, thus representing a suitable point-of-care testing (POCT) in a clinical setting with low prevalence of COVID-19. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:33:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9e3409f2f8b64c11b1690a3329cb3183 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:33:37Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-9e3409f2f8b64c11b1690a3329cb31832024-01-26T18:47:37ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152023-12-011614110.3390/v16010041Application of a SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Immunoassay Based on Active Microfluidic Technology in a Setting of Children and Young AdultsChristian Leli0Lidia Ferrara1Paolo Bottino2Cristina Bara3Iacopo Megna4Serena Penpa5Enrico Felici6Antonio Maconi7Andrea Rocchetti8Microbiology and Virology Laboratory, A.O. “SS. Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo”, Via Venezia 16, 15121 Alessandria, ItalyMicrobiology and Virology Laboratory, A.O. “SS. Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo”, Via Venezia 16, 15121 Alessandria, ItalyMicrobiology and Virology Laboratory, A.O. “SS. Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo”, Via Venezia 16, 15121 Alessandria, ItalyMicrobiology and Virology Laboratory, A.O. “SS. Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo”, Via Venezia 16, 15121 Alessandria, ItalyResearch and Innovation Department (DAIRI), A.O. “SS. Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo”, Via Venezia 16, 15121 Alessandria, ItalyResearch and Innovation Department (DAIRI), A.O. “SS. Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo”, Via Venezia 16, 15121 Alessandria, ItalyPediatric and Pediatric Emergency Unit, A.O. “SS. Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo”, Via Venezia 16, 15121 Alessandria, ItalyResearch and Innovation Department (DAIRI), A.O. “SS. Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo”, Via Venezia 16, 15121 Alessandria, ItalyMicrobiology and Virology Laboratory, A.O. “SS. Antonio e Biagio e C. Arrigo”, Via Venezia 16, 15121 Alessandria, ItalyTo carry out effective and quick identification of SARS-CoV-2 from nasopharyngeal swabs and contain outbreaks, reliable and rapid tools are needed. Herein, we compared a rapid antigen test based on active microfluidic technology to an RT-qPCR assay in pediatric and young adult patients admitted to the Pediatric Emergency Unit of a Children’s Hospital. Nasopharyngeal swabs collected from patients with suspected COVID-19 disease and from those without COVID-19 related symptoms, but requiring hospitalization, were performed with both antigen test and RT-qPCR assays. We included 375 patients with a median age of 5 years in the study, with an estimated overall prevalence of 7.2%. Overall, we observed a specificity of 97.4% (95% CI: 94.9–98.7) and a sensitivity of 66.6% (95% CI: 46.0–82.7) with a positive likelihood ratio (LR+) of 25.8 (95% CI: 12.8–51.8). In the subgroup of symptomatic patients, the specificity and the sensitivity were 95.2% (95% CI: 89.4–98.0) and 80.0% (95% CI: 44.2–96.5) respectively; LR+ was 16.6 (95% CI: 7.19–38.6). In the asymptomatic subset, the performance showed a specificity of 98.7% (95% CI: 95.8–99.7), a sensitivity of 58.8% (95% CI: 33.5–80.6), and an LR+ of 43.7 (95% CI: 13.3–144.0). Compared to RT-qPCR, the new microfluidic-based antigen test showed higher specificity (>95%) in the pediatric population, thus representing a suitable point-of-care testing (POCT) in a clinical setting with low prevalence of COVID-19.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/16/1/41COVID-19SARS-CoV-2microfluidicPOCTpediatric emergency medicine |
| spellingShingle | Christian Leli Lidia Ferrara Paolo Bottino Cristina Bara Iacopo Megna Serena Penpa Enrico Felici Antonio Maconi Andrea Rocchetti Application of a SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Immunoassay Based on Active Microfluidic Technology in a Setting of Children and Young Adults Viruses COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 microfluidic POCT pediatric emergency medicine |
| title | Application of a SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Immunoassay Based on Active Microfluidic Technology in a Setting of Children and Young Adults |
| title_full | Application of a SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Immunoassay Based on Active Microfluidic Technology in a Setting of Children and Young Adults |
| title_fullStr | Application of a SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Immunoassay Based on Active Microfluidic Technology in a Setting of Children and Young Adults |
| title_full_unstemmed | Application of a SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Immunoassay Based on Active Microfluidic Technology in a Setting of Children and Young Adults |
| title_short | Application of a SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Immunoassay Based on Active Microfluidic Technology in a Setting of Children and Young Adults |
| title_sort | application of a sars cov 2 antigen rapid immunoassay based on active microfluidic technology in a setting of children and young adults |
| topic | COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 microfluidic POCT pediatric emergency medicine |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/16/1/41 |
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