COVID-19 Rapid Tests Still Work Against New Variants—Researchers Keep ‘Testing the Tests,’ and They Pass
Author: Nathaniel Hafer.; Anuradha Rao.; Apurv Soni.
Source: Volume 25, Number 02, Spring 2024 , pp.33-33(1)
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Abstract:
By September 2020, just six months after COVID-19 triggered shutdowns across the U.S., it was clear that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, had mutated from its original form. The question quickly arose whether existing rapid antigen tests could detect newly emerging variants. As the authors of this brief review show, the answer is yes, the tests still work. Using clinical samples obtained from diagnostic labs throughout the U.S. from 2020 to 2023, the National Institutes of Health, through its Variant Task Force, analyzed the effectiveness of more than 100 rapid antigen test kits on over 300 variants. The vast majority of the kits were able to detect new as well as prior previously known variants. The authors explain the most likely reasons why, and offer recommendation for testing and care. (This free article is published under a creative commons license.)Keywords: Testing for New Covid Variants
Affiliations:
1: UMass Chan Medical School; 2: Emory University; 3: UMass Chan Medical School.