The new variant of the COVID-19 virus, Omicron, is quickly spreading all across the globe. In such a situation, many people are relying on Rapid Antigen Tests to test themselves and know whether they have been infected or not. However, recent research has shown that too much dependency on these Rapid Antigen Tests might not be a promising idea as the test might not reliably detect the Omicron variant in some circumstances.
Why Nose
Swabs Are Not Reliable?
Most people take
a swab from their nose when they do a rapid antigen test. This is not a
reliable method as the virus takes some time to reach the nose, and it might still
be in their throats for the first few days. If the virus hasn't reached the
nostrils and you take a swab early, you might get a negative test result and
wrongly assume that you are safe. It is not the case because people who have an
infection in their throat and saliva can pass it on to others and increase the
spread of the infection.
The Study
A study
conducted recently looked at 29 workers in high-risk professions who were
Omicron infected. They had taken PCR and antigen tests simultaneously on
multiple days. The PCR tests of the saliva detected the virus on an average of
three days before the nose swab samples of rapid antigen tests became positive.
The Study
Leader, Blythe Adamson from Infectious Economics LLC, a risk-reduction company,
said, "When people test negative by rapid antigen, they can still have
very infectious viral loads and transmit to other people."
Throat Swab
Caution
Some experts suggest
that a person using an antigen test should swab the throat before swabbing the
nose. But authorities like the FDA recommend that a person follow the
manufacturer's instructions. Self-collection of throat swabs should be done
with caution as it can cause you or the patient harm if you make a mistake. A
healthcare professional should take the swab whenever possible.
Earlier
Appearance of Symptoms
Research has
proven that COVID-19 symptoms appear earlier with Omicron compared to other
variants.
Expert Advice
One of the
experts has recommended that you assume that you are positive whenever you feel
the symptoms. But it would help if you waited to use the antigen tests until a
few days have passed to confirm the infection.
What's the
Result? Can You Depend on Rapid Antigen Tests to Detect Omicron?
The simple
answer to the question of can depend on rapid antigen tests to detect Omicron
is yes. But the catch is that these tests might be less sensitive to Omicron than
other variants of COVID-19.
It is also
recommended that you look out for these symptoms
and choose hospitalization if your healthcare provider recommends it.
To know more
about the spread of Omicron across the globe or what research is underway
regarding the virus, you can check the official website of WHO over here. Do
check the recommended actions for the people section on the webpage.
Sources:
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/rapid-nose-swab-tests-covid-may-not-detect-omicron-quickly-enough-expert-says-2022-01-07/
https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-reliable-are-covid-19-rapid-tests-for-detecting-omicron-11641747601
https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-swab-throat-covid-rapid-tests-guide-2022-1