see also:

• COVID-19 coronavirus (2019-nCoV / SARS-CoV-2)
• COVID-19 health care worker testing
• nasal and nasopharyngeal swabs

• rapid point of care (POC) testing for Covid-19 is becoming more readily available in Australia, and as of Nov 1 2021, pending TGA approval home testing rapid antigen kits will become available
• POC tests include:
  • rt-PCR - results usually take 20min to 1 hour depending on system and require expensive equipment to run them and each device is limited to 1-4 samples at a time
  • non-PCR
  • rapid antigen tests - results usually take around 15 minutes and a run similar to home pregnancy test kits

• generally have a swab in a self-contained tube for biohazard risk reduction
• accuracy of RATs:
  • if symptomatic: sensitivity 72% specificity 99.4%
  • if asymptomatic (ie. “low risk Covid ED stream”): sensitivity 58% specificity 99.4%
• PanBio Nasal
  • cost $AU7.50 per test
  • user adds agent fluid into tube
  • user takes swab then inserts into tube, swirling it to mix with fluid then breaks swab off and replaces tube cap
  • user then squeezes a few drops from tube onto a test device which will then display positive or negative within 15-20 minutes

• sensitivity 58% specificity 99.4%

• sensitivity 72% specificity 99.4%

• negative tests probably will not change Ed Mx or streaming
  • HOWEVER, a negative result may enable a lower probability Covid in the HR Covid stream to be re-allocated to LR stream
• positive test in a low risk Covid could move that patient to High Risk status
• positive test in a high risk Covid could move that patient to Covid zone status to be cohorted with Covid positive patients

• accuracy appears to be comparable to lab-based PCR testing
• mainly used in EDs, ICUs, peripheral laboratories
• generally not used in main pathology labs as POCT devices are resource intensive to manage in terms of; staffing, clinical oversight, logistics, friction costs, document control/QA, validation, implementation, and are expensive to operate.