Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and increased testing regulations, the question regarding the accuracy of the rapid tests versus RT-PCR has been thoroughly discussed to weigh in on the availability and economic aspects of each test. Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of rapid antigen tests compared to the gold standard RT-PCR and documented it via Scarletred®Vision. The purpose of the study was to examine whether the on lateral flow assay-based rapid test can be used as an accurate diagnostic tool by comparing swabs from three different sites: oral, anterior nasal, and nasopharyngeal. The study confirmed that the sensitivity of self-collected anterior nasal swabs compared to professionally collected nasopharyngeal swabs was similar in patients with a cycle threshold (CT) value of below 30.

The study was conducted at the General Hospital and Clinic Favoriten in Vienna, Austria, with over 130  SARS-CoV-2-positive participants who did not require intensive care. Although RT-PCR stays superior regarding sensitivity and highly depends on the swab site and method, the antigen tests still show rapid and cost-effective advantages.

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