Health

Can Rapid Antigen Test Detect Omicron Variant?


Lauterbach added that the results of the assessment will be available in the next few weeks. However, it is clear that “the completely untested alternative … would be too dangerous,” said Lauterbach, who is also a scientist and physician.

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for Infectious Diseases, Omicron now accounts for 44% of coronavirus cases in Germany, the Guardian reports. On Sunday, the RKI registered 36,552 new COVID cases reported within 24 hours, triple the number a week earlier.

Late last month, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also released a statement saying that rapid antigen tests appear to be less sensitive to Omicron than previous variants.

“Early data suggests that antigen tests detect the Omicron variant but may reduce sensitivity,” the FDA said at the time.

Omicron was first detected in South Africa and Botswana in late November. Since then, the fast-spreading virus has been found in more than 100 countries.

A recent study, which has not been peer-reviewed, also suggests that some rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 may not reliably detect the Omicron variant within the first few days of infection, even if a person sheds the virus in high enough quantities. Live Science reported, hinting at preliminary evidence of contagion.

Source: IANS

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