As concluded from this study, all rapid nucleocapsid protein antigen detection (RAD) assays were found to be less sensitive as compared to the existing diagnostic test, rRT-PCR. Given the high incidence of COVID-19, the RAD tests can be effectively used as a rapid screening tool, to monitor preventive measures associated with the infection and assist in targeted admission to respective wards.

To estimate the diagnostic performance of a total of 5 RAD assays for diagnosis of COVID-19. And, to illustrate the execution and effect of the implementation of recently CE-approved point-of-care diagnostic test at the casualty department.

The precision of the 5 RAD assays under study were examined on 100 respiratory samples. In these samples, 60 were real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) confirmed COVID-19 positive samples, 24 were COVID-19 RNA negative samples and 16 were samples positive for other respiratory infectious agents. The study researchers modified the company’s procedure, to confirm the antigen tests on transport media used for rRT-PCR in daily practice.

The CE-approved point-of-care diagnostic test, one of the tests under consideration, was executed as screening tool for quick diagnosis and targeted admission.

Sensitivity of the included RAD assays varied from 88.9% to 100% for samples with Ct less than 26, and the specificity varied from 46.2% to 100%. During the execution phase, a total of 4195 RAD tests were accomplished. Based on the result of the rapid RAD, 157 patients were relocated directly to the COVID-19 cohort and not the general ward (47 patients) or the provisional COVID-19 ward (110 patients).

Three antigen tests were found to have a satisfactory overall performance and seem to be able to distinguish most of the patients with COVID-19.