Nucleic acid testing is more efficient in terms of accuracy than antigen testing because it requires more equipment and collection personnel. However, antigen testing has faster initial test results than nucleic acid testing and is suitable for large-scale basic diagnosis in multiple populations.
Because nucleic acid testing has a more accurate prediction and estimation of viral infectivity as well as outcome, nucleic acid testing is now used as an assessment for screening in many populations in China. However, as the prevention and control situation becomes progressively more serious, antigen testing can also be used as a supplementary testing method. Although the accuracy of antigen testing is not high, but in the initial screening of large-scale population, there is a very good performance and role.
One: Nucleic acid testing is more effective due to the higher requirements for equipment as well as collection personnel.
Because of its outstanding features such as early diagnosis, high sensitivity and specificity, nucleic acid testing is currently one of the important criteria for confirming the diagnosis of neocoronavirus pneumonia, and nucleic acid testing uses real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR technology. This technique is very useful and helpful for the current initial detection and judgment of neocoronavirus. However, the disadvantage is that the high sensitivity RT-PCR instrument is expensive, the cleanliness of the relevant laboratory and operator requirements are also higher, and the test time is longer, a test will usually take 4-6 hours to have the results.
Two: antigen testing has faster initial results than nucleic acid testing, but the downside is that accuracy is less.
Antigen detection in the test results can be quickly detected in human samples whether the new coronavirus, and low requirements for equipment and personnel, antigen detection used in the double antibody sandwich method technology, will use two antigen-specific antibody to recognize and bind to a different epitope of an antigenic target, which reduces the probability of cross-reactivity, and thus effectively improve its specificity. In this way, rapid results are obtained.
Three: Antigen detection is only suitable for large-scale basic diagnosis of multiple populations, and the final diagnosis is still dependent on nucleic acid testing.
In daily life, because the detection time of nucleic acid testing is not short, so when the large-scale population for the relevant test, the risk of aggregation of infection may occur, and this time can be used antigen testing for rapid population screening and preliminary structural diagnosis of the virus. This is helpful to reduce the pressure of prevention and control and to ensure the triage of the population.