Know, this rapid test antigen plus less according to page members all

KOMPAS.com – Rapid antigen tests for the corona virus are now a requirement for those traveling out of town during the corona virus pandemic.

This rule is effective from December 18, 2020 to January 8, 2021. Previously, trips could be made with negative results of the rapid antibody test.

Chairman of the Central Board of the Indonesian Association of Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Prof. DR. Dr. Aryati MS, Sp. PK (K) explained the advantages and disadvantages of rapid antigen testing.

He explained that there are several ways to detect Covid-19.

In order, the best, according to him, are the culture procedures that use live viruses.

However, this method is difficult to implement because it must be carried out in a research laboratory and uses strict procedures.

The method in culture, carried out using molecular methods. One of them is the PCR examination procedure.

However, PCR takes longer.

Also read: Crowded on rapid antigen testing, this is a full explanation from the HET Ministry of Health to the issue of sanctions

Plus less rapid test antigen

Well, the advantages of rapid antigen testing include the ability to detect viruses directly and it can be done faster than PCR.

Therefore, according to him, this rapid antigen test is an option because it can be performed quickly with a confidence level below CRP.

However, Aryati cautioned, the antigen test examination process must be done quickly after sampling.

“There are antigens lysys buffer in the tube so the work gets done quickly, “Aryati said when contacted Kompas.com, Saturday (12/19/2020).

Another advantage is that it can detect when the patient enters the acute phase and is highly contagious.

Here are some of the advantages of the rapid antigen test:

• Direct detection of viral components
• Good for acute phase detection (early case detection)
• It does not require an incubation period to show positive results.
• Does not require special laboratory specifications for quick test work
• It does not require special skills from the officers to perform the quick test.

Regarding the number of rapid test antigen deficiencies:

• You can only detect it in the acute phase, while RT-PCR remains positive
• Using a sample from the upper respiratory tract (naso / oropharyngeal swab)
• Inability of staff to collect samples can affect results
• Requires Level 3 PPE for sample collection
• It requires special attention to different sensitivities.
• The validation test is still limited, so it cannot replace the RT-PCR position.

Also read: 6 areas requesting mandatory rapid antigen test document, which one?

What should be considered

Aryati said that each antigen kit has a stipulation on how long the test must take to be performed immediately on the samples that have been taken.

He said that if the test is not done immediately, it could lead to false negatives.

“If the PCR cannot be done immediately because there is a means for the virus to survive. But the antigen must be done immediately. If not immediately, how? The results could be false negatives,” he said.

Ideally, the implementation of rapid antigen testing also requires a biosafety cabinet to avoid the possibility of aerosols during sampling, so it should not be done outdoors.

Additionally, antigen sampling must also use level 3 PPE.

Aryati said that sampling through nasopharyngeal swabs should also be done by trained personnel.

The reason is that the sampling process requires a special technique so that the sampling tool can touch the tip and turn it.

The objective is to do the maximum sampling and not to appear false negatives.

In full, here are a number of things to keep in mind when performing a rapid antigen test:

• The location where the antigen was processed
• Nasopharyngeal swab sampling should be performed by trained personnel to ensure sample / specimen quality.
• It must be done immediately
• Check for labels of unknown validity of antigenic reagents
• Interpretation of results should be accompanied by caution (see PatKLIn manual)
• The gold standard is still NAAT, for example PCR.

Also Read: How Does Rapid Antigen Test Accuracy Compare To Other Covid-19 Tests?

KOMPAS.com/Akbar Bhayu Tamtomo
Infographic: Rapid Antigen Test Rates at 7 Indonesian Airports