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Manten K, Katzenschlager S, Brümmer LE, Schmitz S, Gaeddert M, Erdmann C, Grilli M, Pollock NR, Macé A, Erkosar B, Carmona S, Ongarello S, Johnson CC, Sacks JA, Faehling V, Bornemann L, Weigand MA, Denkinger CM, Yerlikaya S. Clinical accuracy of instrument-based SARS-CoV-2 antigen diagnostic tests: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Virol J 2024; 21:99. [PMID: 38685117 PMCID: PMC11059670 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-024-02371-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the COVID-19 pandemic, antigen diagnostic tests were frequently used for screening, triage, and diagnosis. Novel instrument-based antigen tests (iAg tests) hold the promise of outperforming their instrument-free, visually-read counterparts. Here, we provide a systematic review and meta-analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 iAg tests' clinical accuracy. METHODS We systematically searched MEDLINE (via PubMed), Web of Science, medRxiv, and bioRxiv for articles published before November 7th, 2022, evaluating the accuracy of iAg tests for SARS-CoV-2 detection. We performed a random effects meta-analysis to estimate sensitivity and specificity and used the QUADAS-2 tool to assess study quality and risk of bias. Sub-group analysis was conducted based on Ct value range, IFU-conformity, age, symptom presence and duration, and the variant of concern. RESULTS We screened the titles and abstracts of 20,431 articles and included 114 publications that fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Additionally, we incorporated three articles sourced from the FIND website, totaling 117 studies encompassing 95,181 individuals, which evaluated the clinical accuracy of 24 commercial COVID-19 iAg tests. The studies varied in risk of bias but showed high applicability. Of 24 iAg tests from 99 studies assessed in the meta-analysis, the pooled sensitivity and specificity compared to molecular testing of a paired NP swab sample were 76.7% (95% CI 73.5 to 79.7) and 98.4% (95% CI 98.0 to 98.7), respectively. Higher sensitivity was noted in individuals with high viral load (99.6% [95% CI 96.8 to 100] at Ct-level ≤ 20) and within the first week of symptom onset (84.6% [95% CI 78.2 to 89.3]), but did not differ between tests conducted as per manufacturer's instructions and those conducted differently, or between point-of-care and lab-based testing. CONCLUSION Overall, iAg tests have a high pooled specificity but a moderate pooled sensitivity, according to our analysis. The pooled sensitivity increases with lower Ct-values (a proxy for viral load), or within the first week of symptom onset, enabling reliable identification of most COVID-19 cases and highlighting the importance of context in test selection. The study underscores the need for careful evaluation considering performance variations and operational features of iAg tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Manten
- Department of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stephan Katzenschlager
- Department of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lukas E Brümmer
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stephani Schmitz
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Developmental Biology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Mary Gaeddert
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Maurizio Grilli
- Library, University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Nira R Pollock
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Cheryl C Johnson
- Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programmes, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jilian A Sacks
- Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Verena Faehling
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Linus Bornemann
- Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University Medical Centre, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Markus A Weigand
- Department of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 324, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claudia M Denkinger
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Seda Yerlikaya
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.
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Osterman A, Krenn F, Iglhaut M, Badell I, Lehner A, Späth PM, Stern M, Both H, Bender S, Muenchhoff M, Graf A, Krebs S, Blum H, Grimmer T, Durner J, Czibere L, Dächert C, Grzimek-Koschewa N, Protzer U, Kaderali L, Baldauf HM, Keppler OT. Automated antigen assays display a high heterogeneity for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, including several Omicron sublineages. Med Microbiol Immunol 2023; 212:307-322. [PMID: 37561226 PMCID: PMC10501957 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-023-00774-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Diagnostic tests for direct pathogen detection have been instrumental to contain the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Automated, quantitative, laboratory-based nucleocapsid antigen (Ag) tests for SARS-CoV-2 have been launched alongside nucleic acid-based test systems and point-of-care (POC) lateral-flow Ag tests. Here, we evaluated four commercial Ag tests on automated platforms for the detection of different sublineages of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant of concern (VoC) (B.1.1.529) in comparison with "non-Omicron" VoCs. A total of 203 Omicron PCR-positive respiratory swabs (53 BA.1, 48 BA.2, 23 BQ.1, 39 XBB.1.5 and 40 other subvariants) from the period February to March 2022 and from March 2023 were examined. In addition, tissue culture-expanded clinical isolates of Delta (B.1.617.2), Omicron-BA.1, -BF.7, -BN.1 and -BQ.1 were studied. These results were compared to previously reported data from 107 clinical "non-Omicron" samples from the end of the second pandemic wave (February to March 2021) as well as cell culture-derived samples of wildtype (wt) EU-1 (B.1.177), Alpha VoC (B.1.1.7) and Beta VoC (B.1.351)). All four commercial Ag tests were able to detect at least 90.9% of Omicron-containing samples with high viral loads (Ct < 25). The rates of true-positive test results for BA.1/BA.2-positive samples with intermediate viral loads (Ct 25-30) ranged between 6.7% and 100.0%, while they dropped to 0 to 15.4% for samples with low Ct values (> 30). This heterogeneity was reflected also by the tests' 50%-limit of detection (LoD50) values ranging from 44,444 to 1,866,900 Geq/ml. Respiratory samples containing Omicron-BQ.1/XBB.1.5 or other Omicron subvariants that emerged in 2023 were detected with enormous heterogeneity (0 to 100%) for the intermediate and low viral load ranges with LoD50 values between 23,019 and 1,152,048 Geq/ml. In contrast, detection of "non-Omicron" samples was more sensitive, scoring positive in 35 to 100% for the intermediate and 1.3 to 32.9% of cases for the low viral loads, respectively, corresponding to LoD50 values ranging from 6181 to 749,792 Geq/ml. All four assays detected cell culture-expanded VoCs Alpha, Beta, Delta and Omicron subvariants carrying up to six amino acid mutations in the nucleocapsid protein with sensitivities comparable to the non-VoC EU-1. Overall, automated quantitative SARS-CoV-2 Ag assays are not more sensitive than standard rapid antigen tests used in POC settings and show a high heterogeneity in performance for VoC recognition. The best of these automated Ag tests may have the potential to complement nucleic acid-based assays for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics in settings not primarily focused on the protection of vulnerable groups. In light of the constant emergence of new Omicron subvariants and recombinants, most recently the XBB lineage, these tests' performance must be regularly re-evaluated, especially when new VoCs carry mutations in the nucleocapsid protein or immunological and clinical parameters change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Osterman
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Franziska Krenn
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Maximilian Iglhaut
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Irina Badell
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Lehner
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Patricia M Späth
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Marcel Stern
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Hanna Both
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Sabine Bender
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Maximilian Muenchhoff
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site, Munich, Germany
- COVID‑19 Registry of the LMU Munich (CORKUM), University Hospital, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Alexander Graf
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis, Gene Center, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Krebs
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis, Gene Center, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Helmut Blum
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis, Gene Center, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Timo Grimmer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jürgen Durner
- Labor Becker MVZ GbR, Munich, Germany
- Department of Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology, University Hospital, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Christopher Dächert
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Natascha Grzimek-Koschewa
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site, Munich, Germany
| | - Ulrike Protzer
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Virology, Technical University of Munich/Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Lars Kaderali
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Hanna-Mari Baldauf
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany.
| | - Oliver T Keppler
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany.
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site, Munich, Germany.
- COVID‑19 Registry of the LMU Munich (CORKUM), University Hospital, LMU München, Munich, Germany.
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Fragkou PC, De Angelis G, Menchinelli G, Can F, Garcia F, Morfin-Sherpa F, Dimopoulou D, Dimopoulou K, Zelli S, de Salazar A, Reiter R, Janocha H, Grossi A, Omony J, Skevaki C. Update of ESCMID COVID-19 guidelines: diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2. Clin Microbiol Infect 2023:S1198-743X(23)00192-1. [PMID: 37088423 PMCID: PMC10122552 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2023.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
SCOPE Since the onset of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), several assays have been deployed for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) published the first set of guidelines on SARS-CoV-2 in-vitro diagnosis in February 2022. Since the COVID-19 landscape is rapidly evolving, the relevant ESCMID guidelines panel releases an update of the previously published recommendations on diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2. This update aims to delineate the best diagnostic approach for SARS-CoV-2 in different populations based on current evidence. METHODS An ESCMID COVID-19 guidelines task force was established by the ESCMID Executive Committee. A small group was established, half appointed by the chair, and the remaining selected with an open call. The panel met virtually once a week. For all decisions, a simple majority vote was used. A list of clinical questions using the PICO (population, intervention, comparison, and outcome) format was developed at the beginning of the process. For each PICO, two panel members performed a literature search focusing on systematic reviews with a third panellist involved in case of inconsistent results. The panel reassessed the PICOs previously defined as priority in the first set of guidelines and decided to address 49 PICO questions, as 6 of them were discarded as outdated/non-clinically relevant. The "Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation(GRADE)-adoption, adaptation, and de novo development of recommendations (ADOLOPMENT)" evidence-to-decision framework was utilized to produce the guidelines. QUESTIONS ADDRESSED BY THE GUIDELINE AND RECOMMENDATIONS After literature search, we updated 16 PICO questions; these PICOs address the use of antigen-based assays among symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with different ages, COVID-19 severity status or risk for severe COVID-19, time since onset of symptoms/contact with an infectious case, and finally, types of biomaterials used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paraskevi C Fragkou
- First Department of Critical Care Medicine & Pulmonary Services, Evangelismos General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Respiratory Viruses (ESGREV)
| | - Giulia De Angelis
- European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Respiratory Viruses (ESGREV); Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS - 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Menchinelli
- European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Respiratory Viruses (ESGREV); Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS - 00168, Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze Biotecnologiche di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Fusun Can
- European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Respiratory Viruses (ESGREV); Department of Medical Microbiology, Koc University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey; Koc University IsBank Research Centre for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID), Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Federico Garcia
- European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Respiratory Viruses (ESGREV); Servicio de Microbiología Clínica. Hospital Universitario Clínico San Cecilio. Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, Ibs.GRANADA, Granada, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédicaen Red Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Florence Morfin-Sherpa
- European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Respiratory Viruses (ESGREV); Laboratory of Virology, Institut des Agents Infectieux, National Reference Centre for respiratory viruses, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, Lyon, France
| | - Dimitra Dimopoulou
- European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Respiratory Viruses (ESGREV); Second Department of Paediatrics, "P. and A. Kyriakou" Children's Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Silvia Zelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS - 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Adolfo de Salazar
- Servicio de Microbiología Clínica. Hospital Universitario Clínico San Cecilio. Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria, Ibs.GRANADA, Granada, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédicaen Red Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rieke Reiter
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Centre (UGMLC), Philipps University Marburg, German Centre for Lung Research (DZL), Marburg, Germany
| | - Hannah Janocha
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Centre (UGMLC), Philipps University Marburg, German Centre for Lung Research (DZL), Marburg, Germany
| | | | - Jimmy Omony
- Institute for Asthma and Allergy Prevention (IAP), Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, German Research Centre for Environmental Health (GmbH), Munich, Germany
| | - Chrysanthi Skevaki
- European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Respiratory Viruses (ESGREV); Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Centre (UGMLC), Philipps University Marburg, German Centre for Lung Research (DZL), Marburg, Germany.
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Neukam K, Lucero A, Gutiérrez-Valencia A, Amaya L, Echegoyen N, Martelli A, Videla C, Di Lello FA, Martínez AP. Point-of-care detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigen among symptomatic vs. asymptomatic persons: Testing for COVID-19 vs. infectivity. Front Public Health 2022; 10:995249. [PMID: 36324442 PMCID: PMC9619045 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.995249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Management of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) requires rapid and simple methods to detect COVID-19 patients and identify potential infectors. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of a point-of-care (PoC) rapid antigen diagnostic test (Ag-RDT) in these settings. Patients and methods Individuals who consecutively presented for SARS-CoV-2 testing at a tertiary care center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, underwent PoC Ag-RDT testing and real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) on the same day during June 2021. Results Of 584 included subjects, 108 (18.5%) were symptomatic for COVID-19 while the remaining presented for miscellaneous reasons unrelated to possible or confirmed contact with a SARS-CoV-2-infected individual. A positive Ag-RDT result was obtained in 26 (24.1%) symptomatic and 7 (1.5%) asymptomatic persons (p < 0.001), which was concordant with qRT-PCR in 105/108 [97.2%, Cohen's kappa coefficient (κ) = 0.927] symptomatic and 467/476 (98.1% κ = 0.563) asymptomatic participants, with a positive percentage agreement (PPA; 95% confidence interval) of 89.7% (71.5-97.3%) and 42.9% (18.8-70.4%), respectively. None of the 11 false-negative diagnoses showed a Ct-value ≤20. Considering only failures with a Ct-value below 31 as hypothetical infectivity threshold of 105 SARS-CoV-2 RNA copies/mL, concordance was observed in 98.1% (κ = 0.746) in the asymptomatic population, accounting for a PPA of 66.7% (30.9-91%). Conclusions PoC Ag-RDT accurately detected active SARS-CoV-2 infection and showed acceptable diagnostic performance in asymptomatic persons potentially spreading infectious virus. Ag-RDT may therefore be useful to slow down or stop transmission by enabling adequate decisions on isolation at a public health level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Neukam
- Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Seville, Spain,Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, University of Seville, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Seville, Spain,*Correspondence: Karin Neukam
| | - Alicia Lucero
- Virology Section, Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas Norberto Quirno “CEMIC”, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alicia Gutiérrez-Valencia
- Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Seville, Spain,Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, University of Seville, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - Lucas Amaya
- Virology Section, Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas Norberto Quirno “CEMIC”, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Natalia Echegoyen
- Virology Section, Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas Norberto Quirno “CEMIC”, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Antonella Martelli
- Virology Section, Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas Norberto Quirno “CEMIC”, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Cristina Videla
- Virology Section, Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas Norberto Quirno “CEMIC”, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Federico A. Di Lello
- Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Instituto de Investigaciones en Bacteriología y Virología Molecular (IBaViM), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina,Federico A. Di Lello
| | - Alfredo P. Martínez
- Virology Section, Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas Norberto Quirno “CEMIC”, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Yin N, Van Nuffelen M, Bartiaux M, Préseau T, Roggen I, Delaunoy S, Mahadeb B, Dahma H, Busson L, Vandenberg O, Hallin M. Clinical impact of the rapid molecular detection of RSV and influenza A and B viruses in the emergency department. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274222. [PMID: 36054246 PMCID: PMC9439204 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Using respiratory virus rapid diagnostic tests in the emergency department could allow better and faster clinical management. Point-of-care PCR instruments now provide results in less than 30 minutes. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of the use of a rapid molecular diagnostic test, the cobas® Influenza A/B & RSV Assay, during the clinical management of emergency department patients. Methods Patients (adults and children) requiring admission or suffering from an underlying condition at risk of respiratory complications were prospectively recruited in the emergency department of four hospitals in the Brussels region. Physicians’ intentions regarding admission, isolation, antibiotic, and antiviral use were collected before and after performing the rapid molecular test. Additionally, a comparison of the analytical performance of this test against antigen rapid tests and viral culture was performed as well as a time-to-result evaluation. Results Among the 293 patients recruited, 90 had a positive PCR, whereas 44 had a positive antigen test. PCR yielded a sensitivity of 100% for all targets. Antigen tests yielded sensitivities ranging from 66.7% for influenza B to 83.3% for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The use of PCR allowed a decrease in the overall need for isolation and treatment by limiting the isolation of negative patients and antibiotic use for positive patients. Meanwhile, antiviral treatments better targeted patients with a positive influenza PCR. Conclusion The use of a rapid influenza and RSV molecular test improves the clinical management of patients admitted to the emergency department by providing a fast and reliable result. Their additional cost compared to antigen tests should be balanced with the benefit of their analytical performance, leading to efficient reductions in the need for isolation and antibiotic use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Yin
- Department of Microbiology, Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles–Universitair Laboratorium Brussel (LHUB-ULB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| | - Marc Van Nuffelen
- Emergency Department, Erasme University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Magali Bartiaux
- Emergency Department, Saint-Pierre University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thierry Préseau
- Emergency Department, Brugmann University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Inge Roggen
- Emergency Department, Queen Fabiola Pediatric University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sabrina Delaunoy
- Department of Microbiology, Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles–Universitair Laboratorium Brussel (LHUB-ULB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bhavna Mahadeb
- Department of Microbiology, Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles–Universitair Laboratorium Brussel (LHUB-ULB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hafid Dahma
- Department of Microbiology, Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles–Universitair Laboratorium Brussel (LHUB-ULB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Laurent Busson
- Department of Microbiology, Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles–Universitair Laboratorium Brussel (LHUB-ULB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Olivier Vandenberg
- Clinical Research and Innovation Unit, Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles–Universitair Laboratorium Brussel (LHUB-ULB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Centre for Environmental Health and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marie Hallin
- Department of Microbiology, Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles–Universitair Laboratorium Brussel (LHUB-ULB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Centre for Environmental Health and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
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6
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Dinnes J, Sharma P, Berhane S, van Wyk SS, Nyaaba N, Domen J, Taylor M, Cunningham J, Davenport C, Dittrich S, Emperador D, Hooft L, Leeflang MM, McInnes MD, Spijker R, Verbakel JY, Takwoingi Y, Taylor-Phillips S, Van den Bruel A, Deeks JJ. Rapid, point-of-care antigen tests for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2022; 7:CD013705. [PMID: 35866452 PMCID: PMC9305720 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd013705.pub3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accurate rapid diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2 infection would be a useful tool to help manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Testing strategies that use rapid antigen tests to detect current infection have the potential to increase access to testing, speed detection of infection, and inform clinical and public health management decisions to reduce transmission. This is the second update of this review, which was first published in 2020. OBJECTIVES To assess the diagnostic accuracy of rapid, point-of-care antigen tests for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We consider accuracy separately in symptomatic and asymptomatic population groups. Sources of heterogeneity investigated included setting and indication for testing, assay format, sample site, viral load, age, timing of test, and study design. SEARCH METHODS We searched the COVID-19 Open Access Project living evidence database from the University of Bern (which includes daily updates from PubMed and Embase and preprints from medRxiv and bioRxiv) on 08 March 2021. We included independent evaluations from national reference laboratories, FIND and the Diagnostics Global Health website. We did not apply language restrictions. SELECTION CRITERIA We included studies of people with either suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection, known SARS-CoV-2 infection or known absence of infection, or those who were being screened for infection. We included test accuracy studies of any design that evaluated commercially produced, rapid antigen tests. We included evaluations of single applications of a test (one test result reported per person) and evaluations of serial testing (repeated antigen testing over time). Reference standards for presence or absence of infection were any laboratory-based molecular test (primarily reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)) or pre-pandemic respiratory sample. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS We used standard screening procedures with three people. Two people independently carried out quality assessment (using the QUADAS-2 tool) and extracted study results. Other study characteristics were extracted by one review author and checked by a second. We present sensitivity and specificity with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each test, and pooled data using the bivariate model. We investigated heterogeneity by including indicator variables in the random-effects logistic regression models. We tabulated results by test manufacturer and compliance with manufacturer instructions for use and according to symptom status. MAIN RESULTS We included 155 study cohorts (described in 166 study reports, with 24 as preprints). The main results relate to 152 evaluations of single test applications including 100,462 unique samples (16,822 with confirmed SARS-CoV-2). Studies were mainly conducted in Europe (101/152, 66%), and evaluated 49 different commercial antigen assays. Only 23 studies compared two or more brands of test. Risk of bias was high because of participant selection (40, 26%); interpretation of the index test (6, 4%); weaknesses in the reference standard for absence of infection (119, 78%); and participant flow and timing 41 (27%). Characteristics of participants (45, 30%) and index test delivery (47, 31%) differed from the way in which and in whom the test was intended to be used. Nearly all studies (91%) used a single RT-PCR result to define presence or absence of infection. The 152 studies of single test applications reported 228 evaluations of antigen tests. Estimates of sensitivity varied considerably between studies, with consistently high specificities. Average sensitivity was higher in symptomatic (73.0%, 95% CI 69.3% to 76.4%; 109 evaluations; 50,574 samples, 11,662 cases) compared to asymptomatic participants (54.7%, 95% CI 47.7% to 61.6%; 50 evaluations; 40,956 samples, 2641 cases). Average sensitivity was higher in the first week after symptom onset (80.9%, 95% CI 76.9% to 84.4%; 30 evaluations, 2408 cases) than in the second week of symptoms (53.8%, 95% CI 48.0% to 59.6%; 40 evaluations, 1119 cases). For those who were asymptomatic at the time of testing, sensitivity was higher when an epidemiological exposure to SARS-CoV-2 was suspected (64.3%, 95% CI 54.6% to 73.0%; 16 evaluations; 7677 samples, 703 cases) compared to where COVID-19 testing was reported to be widely available to anyone on presentation for testing (49.6%, 95% CI 42.1% to 57.1%; 26 evaluations; 31,904 samples, 1758 cases). Average specificity was similarly high for symptomatic (99.1%) or asymptomatic (99.7%) participants. We observed a steady decline in summary sensitivities as measures of sample viral load decreased. Sensitivity varied between brands. When tests were used according to manufacturer instructions, average sensitivities by brand ranged from 34.3% to 91.3% in symptomatic participants (20 assays with eligible data) and from 28.6% to 77.8% for asymptomatic participants (12 assays). For symptomatic participants, summary sensitivities for seven assays were 80% or more (meeting acceptable criteria set by the World Health Organization (WHO)). The WHO acceptable performance criterion of 97% specificity was met by 17 of 20 assays when tests were used according to manufacturer instructions, 12 of which demonstrated specificities above 99%. For asymptomatic participants the sensitivities of only two assays approached but did not meet WHO acceptable performance standards in one study each; specificities for asymptomatic participants were in a similar range to those observed for symptomatic people. At 5% prevalence using summary data in symptomatic people during the first week after symptom onset, the positive predictive value (PPV) of 89% means that 1 in 10 positive results will be a false positive, and around 1 in 5 cases will be missed. At 0.5% prevalence using summary data for asymptomatic people, where testing was widely available and where epidemiological exposure to COVID-19 was suspected, resulting PPVs would be 38% to 52%, meaning that between 2 in 5 and 1 in 2 positive results will be false positives, and between 1 in 2 and 1 in 3 cases will be missed. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Antigen tests vary in sensitivity. In people with signs and symptoms of COVID-19, sensitivities are highest in the first week of illness when viral loads are higher. Assays that meet appropriate performance standards, such as those set by WHO, could replace laboratory-based RT-PCR when immediate decisions about patient care must be made, or where RT-PCR cannot be delivered in a timely manner. However, they are more suitable for use as triage to RT-PCR testing. The variable sensitivity of antigen tests means that people who test negative may still be infected. Many commercially available rapid antigen tests have not been evaluated in independent validation studies. Evidence for testing in asymptomatic cohorts has increased, however sensitivity is lower and there is a paucity of evidence for testing in different settings. Questions remain about the use of antigen test-based repeat testing strategies. Further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of screening programmes at reducing transmission of infection, whether mass screening or targeted approaches including schools, healthcare setting and traveller screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Dinnes
- Test Evaluation Research Group, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Pawana Sharma
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Sarah Berhane
- NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Susanna S van Wyk
- Centre for Evidence-based Health Care, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nicholas Nyaaba
- Infectious Disease Unit, 37 Military Hospital, Cantonments, Ghana
| | - Julie Domen
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Melissa Taylor
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Jane Cunningham
- Global Malaria Programme, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Clare Davenport
- Test Evaluation Research Group, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | | | | | - Lotty Hooft
- Cochrane Netherlands, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Mariska Mg Leeflang
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - René Spijker
- Cochrane Netherlands, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Medical Library, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jan Y Verbakel
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Yemisi Takwoingi
- Test Evaluation Research Group, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Sian Taylor-Phillips
- Division of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Ann Van den Bruel
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jonathan J Deeks
- Test Evaluation Research Group, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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Tapari A, Braliou GG, Papaefthimiou M, Mavriki H, Kontou PI, Nikolopoulos GK, Bagos PG. Performance of Antigen Detection Tests for SARS-CoV-2: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:1388. [PMID: 35741198 PMCID: PMC9221910 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12061388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) initiated global health care challenges such as the necessity for new diagnostic tests. Diagnosis by real-time PCR remains the gold-standard method, yet economical and technical issues prohibit its use in points of care (POC) or for repetitive tests in populations. A lot of effort has been exerted in developing, using, and validating antigen-based tests (ATs). Since individual studies focus on few methodological aspects of ATs, a comparison of different tests is needed. Herein, we perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of data from articles in PubMed, medRxiv and bioRxiv. The bivariate method for meta-analysis of diagnostic tests pooling sensitivities and specificities was used. Most of the AT types for SARS-CoV-2 were lateral flow immunoassays (LFIA), fluorescence immunoassays (FIA), and chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassays (CLEIA). We identified 235 articles containing data from 220,049 individuals. All ATs using nasopharyngeal samples show better performance than those with throat saliva (72% compared to 40%). Moreover, the rapid methods LFIA and FIA show about 10% lower sensitivity compared to the laboratory-based CLEIA method (72% compared to 82%). In addition, rapid ATs show higher sensitivity in symptomatic patients compared to asymptomatic patients, suggesting that viral load is a crucial parameter for ATs performed in POCs. Finally, all methods perform with very high specificity, reaching around 99%. LFIA tests, though with moderate sensitivity, appear as the most attractive method for use in POCs and for performing seroprevalence studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Tapari
- Department of Computer Science and Biomedical Informatics, University of Thessaly, 35131 Lamia, Greece; (A.T.); (G.G.B.); (M.P.); (H.M.); (P.I.K.)
| | - Georgia G. Braliou
- Department of Computer Science and Biomedical Informatics, University of Thessaly, 35131 Lamia, Greece; (A.T.); (G.G.B.); (M.P.); (H.M.); (P.I.K.)
| | - Maria Papaefthimiou
- Department of Computer Science and Biomedical Informatics, University of Thessaly, 35131 Lamia, Greece; (A.T.); (G.G.B.); (M.P.); (H.M.); (P.I.K.)
| | - Helen Mavriki
- Department of Computer Science and Biomedical Informatics, University of Thessaly, 35131 Lamia, Greece; (A.T.); (G.G.B.); (M.P.); (H.M.); (P.I.K.)
| | - Panagiota I. Kontou
- Department of Computer Science and Biomedical Informatics, University of Thessaly, 35131 Lamia, Greece; (A.T.); (G.G.B.); (M.P.); (H.M.); (P.I.K.)
| | | | - Pantelis G. Bagos
- Department of Computer Science and Biomedical Informatics, University of Thessaly, 35131 Lamia, Greece; (A.T.); (G.G.B.); (M.P.); (H.M.); (P.I.K.)
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Cottone E, Van Hoecke F, Martens GA, De Laere E, De Smedt R, Vervaeke S, Vanhee M, De Smet D. Pitfalls of SARS-CoV-2 antigen testing at emergency department. Infect Dis (Lond) 2022; 54:731-737. [PMID: 35638185 DOI: 10.1080/23744235.2022.2083226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current method for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection is an RT-PCR test on the nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swab. Rapid diagnosis is essential for containing viral spread and triage of symptomatic patients presenting to hospital ER departments. As a faster alternative to RT-PCR, we evaluated a SARS-Cov-2 Rapid Antigen test in symptomatic patients presenting to hospital ER departments. METHODS We evaluated the diagnostic performance of the Roche SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen test (SD Biosensor) for detection of SARS-CoV-2 compared to RT-PCR. RESULTS Our study showed inferior performance of the SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen test for detection of SARS-CoV-2. Firstly, because of the lack of specificity, which is potentially life-threatening due to the association of nosocomial-acquired SARS-CoV-2 infection. Secondly, with a sensitivity of 45.5%, it is impossible to rule out SARS-CoV-2 infection, resulting in reflex PCR-testing. Comparison of viral load in RT-PCR positive samples with corresponding antigen results showed a significant difference between antigen positive and negative samples. COVID-19 infection will not be detected in patients admitted to the hospital in an early or late phase, typically associated with low viral loads. Sensitivity increases when testing within 5-7 symptomatic days, but the implementation of this cut-off is impractical in ER settings. However, diagnostic performance is better to detect high viral load (> = 5 log10 copies/mL) linked with contagiousness. CONCLUSION Our study showed inferior performance of the Roche SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen test (SD Biosensor) for detection of SARS-CoV-2 which limits its use as a diagnostic gatekeeper in ER departments, but is able to differentiate contagious individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Cottone
- AZ Delta Medical Laboratories, AZ Delta General Hospital, Roeselare, Belgium
| | - Frederik Van Hoecke
- AZ Delta Medical Laboratories, AZ Delta General Hospital, Roeselare, Belgium
| | - Geert Antoine Martens
- AZ Delta Medical Laboratories, AZ Delta General Hospital, Roeselare, Belgium.,Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Emmanuel De Laere
- AZ Delta Medical Laboratories, AZ Delta General Hospital, Roeselare, Belgium
| | - Roos De Smedt
- AZ Delta Medical Laboratories, AZ Delta General Hospital, Roeselare, Belgium
| | - Steven Vervaeke
- AZ Delta Medical Laboratories, AZ Delta General Hospital, Roeselare, Belgium
| | - Merijn Vanhee
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, AZ Sint-Jan AV, Brugge, Belgium
| | - Dieter De Smet
- AZ Delta Medical Laboratories, AZ Delta General Hospital, Roeselare, Belgium
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Brümmer LE, Katzenschlager S, McGrath S, Schmitz S, Gaeddert M, Erdmann C, Bota M, Grilli M, Larmann J, Weigand MA, Pollock NR, Macé A, Erkosar B, Carmona S, Sacks JA, Ongarello S, Denkinger CM. Accuracy of rapid point-of-care antigen-based diagnostics for SARS-CoV-2: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis with meta-regression analyzing influencing factors. PLoS Med 2022; 19:e1004011. [PMID: 35617375 PMCID: PMC9187092 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Comprehensive information about the accuracy of antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is essential to guide public health decision makers in choosing the best tests and testing policies. In August 2021, we published a systematic review and meta-analysis about the accuracy of Ag-RDTs. We now update this work and analyze the factors influencing test sensitivity in further detail. METHODS AND FINDINGS We registered the review on PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42020225140). We systematically searched preprint and peer-reviewed databases for publications evaluating the accuracy of Ag-RDTs for SARS-CoV-2 until August 31, 2021. Descriptive analyses of all studies were performed, and when more than 4 studies were available, a random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate pooled sensitivity and specificity with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing as a reference. To evaluate factors influencing test sensitivity, we performed 3 different analyses using multivariable mixed-effects meta-regression models. We included 194 studies with 221,878 Ag-RDTs performed. Overall, the pooled estimates of Ag-RDT sensitivity and specificity were 72.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] 69.8 to 74.2) and 98.9% (95% CI 98.6 to 99.1). When manufacturer instructions were followed, sensitivity increased to 76.3% (95% CI 73.7 to 78.7). Sensitivity was markedly better on samples with lower RT-PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values (97.9% [95% CI 96.9 to 98.9] and 90.6% [95% CI 88.3 to 93.0] for Ct-values <20 and <25, compared to 54.4% [95% CI 47.3 to 61.5] and 18.7% [95% CI 13.9 to 23.4] for Ct-values ≥25 and ≥30) and was estimated to increase by 2.9 percentage points (95% CI 1.7 to 4.0) for every unit decrease in mean Ct-value when adjusting for testing procedure and patients' symptom status. Concordantly, we found the mean Ct-value to be lower for true positive (22.2 [95% CI 21.5 to 22.8]) compared to false negative (30.4 [95% CI 29.7 to 31.1]) results. Testing in the first week from symptom onset resulted in substantially higher sensitivity (81.9% [95% CI 77.7 to 85.5]) compared to testing after 1 week (51.8%, 95% CI 41.5 to 61.9). Similarly, sensitivity was higher in symptomatic (76.2% [95% CI 73.3 to 78.9]) compared to asymptomatic (56.8% [95% CI 50.9 to 62.4]) persons. However, both effects were mainly driven by the Ct-value of the sample. With regards to sample type, highest sensitivity was found for nasopharyngeal (NP) and combined NP/oropharyngeal samples (70.8% [95% CI 68.3 to 73.2]), as well as in anterior nasal/mid-turbinate samples (77.3% [95% CI 73.0 to 81.0]). Our analysis was limited by the included studies' heterogeneity in viral load assessment and sample origination. CONCLUSIONS Ag-RDTs detect most of the individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2, and almost all (>90%) when high viral loads are present. With viral load, as estimated by Ct-value, being the most influential factor on their sensitivity, they are especially useful to detect persons with high viral load who are most likely to transmit the virus. To further quantify the effects of other factors influencing test sensitivity, standardization of clinical accuracy studies and access to patient level Ct-values and duration of symptoms are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas E. Brümmer
- Division of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Sean McGrath
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Stephani Schmitz
- Department of Developmental Biology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mary Gaeddert
- Division of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Marc Bota
- Agaplesion Bethesda Hospital, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maurizio Grilli
- Library, University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jan Larmann
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Markus A. Weigand
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nira R. Pollock
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Claudia M. Denkinger
- Division of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
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Yin N, Debuysschere C, Daubie V, Hildebrand M, Martin C, Curac S, Ponthieux F, Payen MC, Vandenberg O, Hallin M. Evaluation and Modelling of the Performance of an Automated SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Assay According to Sample Type, Target Population and Epidemic Trends. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12020447. [PMID: 35204538 PMCID: PMC8871059 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12020447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The Lumipulse® G SARS-CoV-2 Ag assay performance was evaluated on prospectively collected saliva and nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) of recently ill in- and outpatients and according to the estimated viral load. Performances were calculated using RT-PCR positive NPS from patients with symptoms ≤ 7 days and RT-PCR negative NPS as gold standard. In addition, non-selected positive NPS were analyzed to assess the performances on various viral loads. This assay yielded a sensitivity of 93.1% on NPS and 71.4% on saliva for recently ill patients. For NPS with a viral load > 103 RNA copies/mL, sensitivity was 96.4%. A model established on our daily routine showed fluctuations of the performances depending on the epidemic trends but an overall good negative predictive value. Lumipulse® G SARS-CoV-2 assay yielded good performance for an automated antigen detection assay on NPS. Using it for the detection of recently ill patients or to screen high-risk patients could be an interesting alternative to the more expensive RT-PCR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Yin
- Department of Microbiology, Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles-Universitair Laboratorium Brussel (LHUB-ULB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1000 Brussels, Belgium; (C.D.); (V.D.); (F.P.); (M.H.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Cyril Debuysschere
- Department of Microbiology, Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles-Universitair Laboratorium Brussel (LHUB-ULB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1000 Brussels, Belgium; (C.D.); (V.D.); (F.P.); (M.H.)
| | - Valery Daubie
- Department of Microbiology, Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles-Universitair Laboratorium Brussel (LHUB-ULB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1000 Brussels, Belgium; (C.D.); (V.D.); (F.P.); (M.H.)
| | - Marc Hildebrand
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasme University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1070 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Charlotte Martin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Saint-Pierre University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1000 Brussels, Belgium; (C.M.); (M.-C.P.)
| | - Sonja Curac
- Emergency Department, Erasme University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1070 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Fanny Ponthieux
- Department of Microbiology, Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles-Universitair Laboratorium Brussel (LHUB-ULB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1000 Brussels, Belgium; (C.D.); (V.D.); (F.P.); (M.H.)
| | - Marie-Christine Payen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Saint-Pierre University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1000 Brussels, Belgium; (C.M.); (M.-C.P.)
| | - Olivier Vandenberg
- Centre for Environmental Health and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium;
- Clinical Research and Innovation Unit, Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles-Universitair Laboratorium Brussel (LHUB-ULB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1000 Brussels, Belgium
- Division of Infection and Immunity, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Marie Hallin
- Department of Microbiology, Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles-Universitair Laboratorium Brussel (LHUB-ULB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1000 Brussels, Belgium; (C.D.); (V.D.); (F.P.); (M.H.)
- Centre for Environmental Health and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium;
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Yin N, Dellicour S, Daubie V, Franco N, Wautier M, Faes C, Van Cauteren D, Nymark L, Hens N, Gilbert M, Hallin M, Vandenberg O. Leveraging of SARS-CoV-2 PCR Cycle Thresholds Values to Forecast COVID-19 Trends. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:743988. [PMID: 34790677 PMCID: PMC8591051 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.743988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: We assessed the usefulness of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR cycle thresholds (Ct) values trends produced by the LHUB-ULB (a consolidated microbiology laboratory located in Brussels, Belgium) for monitoring the epidemic's dynamics at local and national levels and for improving forecasting models. Methods: SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Ct values produced from April 1, 2020, to May 15, 2021, were compared with national COVID-19 confirmed cases notifications according to their geographical and time distribution. These Ct values were evaluated against both a phase diagram predicting the number of COVID-19 patients requiring intensive care and an age-structured model estimating COVID-19 prevalence in Belgium. Results: Over 155,811 RT-PCR performed, 12,799 were positive and 7,910 Ct values were available for analysis. The 14-day median Ct values were negatively correlated with the 14-day mean daily positive tests with a lag of 17 days. In addition, the 14-day mean daily positive tests in LHUB-ULB were strongly correlated with the 14-day mean confirmed cases in the Brussels-Capital and in Belgium with coinciding start, peak, and end of the different waves of the epidemic. Ct values decreased concurrently with the forecasted phase-shifts of the diagram. Similarly, the evolution of 14-day median Ct values was negatively correlated with daily estimated prevalence for all age-classes. Conclusion: We provide preliminary evidence that trends of Ct values can help to both follow and predict the epidemic's trajectory at local and national levels, underlining that consolidated microbiology laboratories can act as epidemic sensors as they gather data that are representative of the geographical area they serve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Yin
- Department of Microbiology, Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles - Universitair Laboratorium Brussel (LHUB-ULB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Simon Dellicour
- Spatial Epidemiology Lab (SpELL), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium.,Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Division of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, Rega Institute, Katholieke Universiteit (KU) Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Valery Daubie
- Department of Microbiology, Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles - Universitair Laboratorium Brussel (LHUB-ULB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Franco
- Department of Mathematics, Namur Centre for Complex Systems (Naxys), University of Namur, Namur, Belgium.,Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics (I-BioStat), Data Science Institute, Hasselt University (UHasselt), Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Magali Wautier
- Department of Microbiology, Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles - Universitair Laboratorium Brussel (LHUB-ULB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Christel Faes
- Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics (I-BioStat), Data Science Institute, Hasselt University (UHasselt), Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Dieter Van Cauteren
- Scientific Directorate of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Liv Nymark
- Division of Infection Control and Environmental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Health Management and Health Economics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Niel Hens
- Interuniversity Institute for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics (I-BioStat), Data Science Institute, Hasselt University (UHasselt), Hasselt, Belgium.,Centre for Health Economic Research and Modelling Infectious Diseases, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marius Gilbert
- Spatial Epidemiology Lab (SpELL), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Marie Hallin
- Department of Microbiology, Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles - Universitair Laboratorium Brussel (LHUB-ULB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,Centre for Environmental Health and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Olivier Vandenberg
- Centre for Environmental Health and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,Clinical Research and Innovation Unit, Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles - Universitair Laboratorium Brussel (LHUB-ULB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.,Division of Infection and Immunity, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Evaluation of the Elecsys SARS-CoV-2 antigen assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in nasopharyngeal swabs. J Clin Virol 2021; 144:104991. [PMID: 34626880 PMCID: PMC8485719 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2021.104991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Aims The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of the automated Elecsys® SARS-CoV-2 antigen assay compared to RT-PCR taken as the gold standard for SARS-CoV-2 detection. Methods 225 nasopharyngeal swabs were randomly collected among which 123 were tested positive and 102 negatives for SARS-CoV-2 based on RT-PCR. Antigen dosing were performed on a Cobas 8000 e801 analyzer. Results The antigen test diagnosed SARS-CoV-2 infection status with an overall sensitivity of 65,85% (95% CI 56,76–74,16%), a specificity of 100% (95% CI 96,49–100%) with a Cut-off value ≥ 1. When the cut-off value for the antigen assay was set to > 0,673 COI, the accuracy reached its highest level with a sensitivity of 74,8% (95% CI 66,2 – 82,2%) and a specificity of 97,1% (95% CI 91,6 – 99,4%). Imprecision was estimated in accordance with manufacturer's claims. Conclusions We obtained an overall sensitivity of 65,85% (95% CI 56,76–74,16%) and a specificity of 100% (95% CI 96,49–100%), slightly higher than the results reported by the manufacturer. Yet, it remains relatively low comparatively to what is generally acceptable for these antigenic assays (a relative sensitivity of 80%). We also noticed that the accuracy could reach its highest level if the cut-off is set above 0,673 which is lower than established by the manufacturer. Thus, our results suggest that the Elecsys® SARS-CoV-2 Antigen assays, should be improved prior to be used in a SARS-Cov-2 screening strategy. However, if one antigenic assay could demonstrate acceptable performance, it might be centralized in clinical laboratories, keeping the RT-PCR in a second phase for confirmation.
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Osterman A, Iglhaut M, Lehner A, Späth P, Stern M, Autenrieth H, Muenchhoff M, Graf A, Krebs S, Blum H, Baiker A, Grzimek-Koschewa N, Protzer U, Kaderali L, Baldauf HM, Keppler OT. Comparison of four commercial, automated antigen tests to detect SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. Med Microbiol Immunol 2021; 210:263-275. [PMID: 34415422 PMCID: PMC8377707 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-021-00719-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
A versatile portfolio of diagnostic tests is essential for the containment of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Besides nucleic acid-based test systems and point-of-care (POCT) antigen (Ag) tests, quantitative, laboratory-based nucleocapsid Ag tests for SARS-CoV-2 have recently been launched. Here, we evaluated four commercial Ag tests on automated platforms and one POCT to detect SARS-CoV-2. We evaluated PCR-positive (n = 107) and PCR-negative (n = 303) respiratory swabs from asymptomatic and symptomatic patients at the end of the second pandemic wave in Germany (February–March 2021) as well as clinical isolates EU1 (B.1.117), variant of concern (VOC) Alpha (B.1.1.7) or Beta (B.1.351), which had been expanded in a biosafety level 3 laboratory. The specificities of automated SARS-CoV-2 Ag tests ranged between 97.0 and 99.7% (Lumipulse G SARS-CoV-2 Ag (Fujirebio): 97.03%, Elecsys SARS-CoV-2 Ag (Roche Diagnostics): 97.69%; LIAISON® SARS-CoV-2 Ag (Diasorin) and SARS-CoV-2 Ag ELISA (Euroimmun): 99.67%). In this study cohort of hospitalized patients, the clinical sensitivities of tests were low, ranging from 17.76 to 52.34%, and analytical sensitivities ranged from 420,000 to 25,000,000 Geq/ml. In comparison, the detection limit of the Roche Rapid Ag Test (RAT) was 9,300,000 Geq/ml, detecting 23.58% of respiratory samples. Receiver-operating-characteristics (ROCs) and Youden’s index analyses were performed to further characterize the assays’ overall performance and determine optimal assay cutoffs for sensitivity and specificity. VOCs carrying up to four amino acid mutations in nucleocapsid were detected by all five assays with characteristics comparable to non-VOCs. In summary, automated, quantitative SARS-CoV-2 Ag tests show variable performance and are not necessarily superior to a standard POCT. The efficacy of any alternative testing strategies to complement nucleic acid-based assays must be carefully evaluated by independent laboratories prior to widespread implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Osterman
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Maximilian Iglhaut
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Lehner
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Patricia Späth
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Marcel Stern
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Hanna Autenrieth
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Maximilian Muenchhoff
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site, Munich, Germany
- COVID-19 Registry of the LMU Munich (CORKUM), University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Alexander Graf
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis, Gene Center, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Krebs
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis, Gene Center, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Helmut Blum
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis, Gene Center, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Armin Baiker
- Public Health Microbiology Unit, Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Oberschleißheim, Germany
| | - Natascha Grzimek-Koschewa
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site, Munich, Germany
| | - Ulrike Protzer
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Virology, Technical University of Munich/Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Lars Kaderali
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Hanna-Mari Baldauf
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany.
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 23, 81377, Munich, Germany.
| | - Oliver T Keppler
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany.
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site, Munich, Germany.
- COVID-19 Registry of the LMU Munich (CORKUM), University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, 80336, Munich, Germany.
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Brümmer LE, Katzenschlager S, Gaeddert M, Erdmann C, Schmitz S, Bota M, Grilli M, Larmann J, Weigand MA, Pollock NR, Macé A, Carmona S, Ongarello S, Sacks JA, Denkinger CM. Accuracy of novel antigen rapid diagnostics for SARS-CoV-2: A living systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS Med 2021; 18:e1003735. [PMID: 34383750 PMCID: PMC8389849 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) are increasingly being integrated in testing strategies around the world. Studies of the Ag-RDTs have shown variable performance. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we assessed the clinical accuracy (sensitivity and specificity) of commercially available Ag-RDTs. METHODS AND FINDINGS We registered the review on PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42020225140). We systematically searched multiple databases (PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, medRvix, bioRvix, and FIND) for publications evaluating the accuracy of Ag-RDTs for SARS-CoV-2 up until 30 April 2021. Descriptive analyses of all studies were performed, and when more than 4 studies were available, a random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate pooled sensitivity and specificity in comparison to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing. We assessed heterogeneity by subgroup analyses, and rated study quality and risk of bias using the QUADAS-2 assessment tool. From a total of 14,254 articles, we included 133 analytical and clinical studies resulting in 214 clinical accuracy datasets with 112,323 samples. Across all meta-analyzed samples, the pooled Ag-RDT sensitivity and specificity were 71.2% (95% CI 68.2% to 74.0%) and 98.9% (95% CI 98.6% to 99.1%), respectively. Sensitivity increased to 76.3% (95% CI 73.1% to 79.2%) if analysis was restricted to studies that followed the Ag-RDT manufacturers' instructions. LumiraDx showed the highest sensitivity, with 88.2% (95% CI 59.0% to 97.5%). Of instrument-free Ag-RDTs, Standard Q nasal performed best, with 80.2% sensitivity (95% CI 70.3% to 87.4%). Across all Ag-RDTs, sensitivity was markedly better on samples with lower RT-PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values, i.e., <20 (96.5%, 95% CI 92.6% to 98.4%) and <25 (95.8%, 95% CI 92.3% to 97.8%), in comparison to those with Ct ≥ 25 (50.7%, 95% CI 35.6% to 65.8%) and ≥30 (20.9%, 95% CI 12.5% to 32.8%). Testing in the first week from symptom onset resulted in substantially higher sensitivity (83.8%, 95% CI 76.3% to 89.2%) compared to testing after 1 week (61.5%, 95% CI 52.2% to 70.0%). The best Ag-RDT sensitivity was found with anterior nasal sampling (75.5%, 95% CI 70.4% to 79.9%), in comparison to other sample types (e.g., nasopharyngeal, 71.6%, 95% CI 68.1% to 74.9%), although CIs were overlapping. Concerns of bias were raised across all datasets, and financial support from the manufacturer was reported in 24.1% of datasets. Our analysis was limited by the included studies' heterogeneity in design and reporting. CONCLUSIONS In this study we found that Ag-RDTs detect the vast majority of SARS-CoV-2-infected persons within the first week of symptom onset and those with high viral load. Thus, they can have high utility for diagnostic purposes in the early phase of disease, making them a valuable tool to fight the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Standardization in conduct and reporting of clinical accuracy studies would improve comparability and use of data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas E. Brümmer
- Division of Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Mary Gaeddert
- Division of Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Stephani Schmitz
- Division of Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marc Bota
- Agaplesion Bethesda Hospital, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maurizio Grilli
- Library, University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jan Larmann
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Markus A. Weigand
- Department of Anesthesiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nira R. Pollock
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | | | | | | | | | - Claudia M. Denkinger
- Division of Tropical Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Partner Site Heidelberg University Hospital, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Heidelberg, Germany
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