What is a rapid antigen test? How is it different from other COVID-19 tests?

  • 📰 abcnews
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 41 sec. here
  • 2 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 20%
  • Publisher: 83%

Australia Headlines News

Australia Latest News,Australia Headlines

NSW has announced plans to commence rapid antigen testing in some settings, but how are the tests different from the PCR tests we're used to?

When Year 12 students in Greater Sydney get back to the classroom, they'll likely be doing it with the help of rapid antigen testing to monitor for COVID-19.

But they're not perfect, and have a higher false negative rate than more traditional PCR testing when screening for COVID.Rapid antigen tests are a method for detecting COVID-19 that work by reacting to proteins on the surface of the virus called antigens. That compares favourably to the hours-long process associated with PCR tests, which also require specific lab equipment to process.

That view is backed up by the Royal College of Pathologists Australasia, which has argued rapid antigen tests aren't a good fit for countries where the prevalence of COVID-19 is low and it's particularly important to catch every case.Rapid antigen tests still won't be widely rolled out in Australia, and if you develop a sniffle or cough, it's likely you'll still receive a PCR test.

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.

Trying to eliminate.. thats the problem. Means we will never open up. Need to start looking at how other countries are opening up. Travel for fully vaccinated, look at UK for example. Give carrots to people to get vaccinated.. and use the rapid tests

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 5. in AU

Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Rapid COVID-19 tests considered for frontline workers, studentsEssential workers such as tradies, supermarket employees and students returning to schools may have to undertake a rapid COVID-19 test to prove they don't have the virus before going to work. These tests kits are very cheap compared to the swab nasal tests the government and its friends have been using this far. Rivers of gold.
Source: SkyNewsAust - 🏆 7. / 78 Read more »

Rapid antigen testing will be a ‘welcomed initiative’ by parents and students of Sydney
Source: SkyNewsAust - 🏆 7. / 78 Read more »

Brisbane backpacker hostel linked to COVID-19 caseA West Australian man who has been living in a Brisbane backpacker hostel has tested positive to COVID-19, despite testing negative while spending two weeks in hotel quarantine. It is becoming apparent that maybe 14 days quarantine is not long enough for Delta strain Of course we're letting in backpacking tourists while 10's of thousands of Australians are stuck overseas. 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️ Hotel Quarantine Failure $20 million later .
Source: abcnews - 🏆 5. / 83 Read more »

Taxpayers spend more than $580 million on COVID-19 testing in NSWExclusive: The NSW government is considering the use of rapid COVID-19 tests but is facing resistance from laboratories performing gold-standard tests that have cost taxpayers $580 million | HatAlexander lucy_carroll HatAlexander lucy_carroll Rapid tests at business premises, supplemented with PCR. HatAlexander lucy_carroll is it because their test of choice has been pulled by the FDA due to accuracy concerns. HatAlexander lucy_carroll Love my tax money going to good use 🤡
Source: smh - 🏆 6. / 80 Read more »

Victorians able to hit the slopes but COVID-19 test requiredVictoria&x27;s Alpine regions are back open for business as restrictions ease but visitors will be required to get a COVID-19 test before hitting the slopes. Except for people whom haven’t had a jab.
Source: 9NewsAUS - 🏆 10. / 72 Read more »

Hundreds in lockdown after Covid outbreak at apartment buildingBREAKING: Residents of an apartment building in Sydney’s west will be locked in for two weeks after multiple cases of Covid-19 were reported. Only Blacktown, no matter SPECCAPITAL lucky you don't gave Dan. he killed 750 people last year got hold of it in his 5th lockdown
Source: newscomauHQ - 🏆 9. / 77 Read more »