Half of the antigen test at the airport may be inaccurate

General news
Tue, 1 Sep 2020

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Kotoka International Airport (KIA) has reopened for scheduled international passenger travel

A principal investigator at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Dr. Kofi Bonney, has downplayed the accuracy of the COVID-19 test being conducted at the country’s international airport.

Kotoka International Airport (KIA) reopened for scheduled international passenger travel on Tuesday, September 1, 2020.

As part of the measures to reduce the import of coronavirus, the government has implemented a mandatory COVID-19 test for all travelers entering the country.

The $ 150 test will be done at the airport and will take a maximum of 30 minutes for a passenger to test it and get results as well.

In reaction to this development, Dr. Kofi Bonney revealed to Joy News that about half of the antigen test that will be performed at the airport may be inaccurate.

“Scientifically with the PCR test, within 72 hours, it is enough. I don’t know why we have to do an antigen test that is less sensitive on arrival. If we look at the tests that have been carried out over the years, we have a percentage of sensitivity that varies between 34% and around 80%.

“So if you look at these numbers, which means that about half of the people who will take anti-gene tests, the results may not be correct,” he said.

Meanwhile, children under the age of five will be exempted from the mandatory COVID-19 test upon arrival.

KIA was closed to international passenger traffic about five months ago as part of restrictions to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

Aviation Minister Joseph Kofi Kowe Adda has said that KIA has posted a revenue shortfall of more than GH ¢ 500 million since the closure of the country’s air borders in March 2020.