Can antigen testing replace nucleic acid testing?
Feb 13, 2023
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Guo Xiheng
Introduction
Antigen tests generally cannot replace nucleic acid testing. Antigen tests usually detect the virus using existing antibodies and can have a specificity of up to 99%, but they cannot serve as a basis for diagnosis. Instead, they are only used as a supplementary tool for screening specific populations. Nucleic acid testing typically detects viral genetic material and is clinically accepted as a diagnostic criterion; therefore, it cannot be replaced by antigen testing.
Antigen testing generally cannot replace nucleic acid testing.
Antigen testing usually involves detecting the virus using existing antibodies to make the virus visible. Results are typically available within about 16 minutes, but the specificity reaches up to 99% and is not sufficient to serve as a diagnostic basis. Instead, it can only be used as a supplementary method for screening specific populations. In contrast, nucleic acid testing typically detects viral genetic material, with results usually available in about six hours. It has a specificity of up to 100% and can serve as a definitive diagnostic criterion in clinical settings; therefore, antigen testing cannot replace it.
Compared to nucleic acid testing, antigen testing is less accurate and may produce false-positive results, so it generally cannot be used as a basis for diagnosis.
