The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that preliminary research shows some rapid antigen tests may be less sensitive at detecting the highly contagious
The FDA, along with researchers from the National Institutes of Health, used samples from patients confirmed to be infected with the omicron variant to study how well antigen tests work. The agency said early results suggest that antigen tests “do detect the omicron variant but may have reduced sensitivity,” meaning it’s possible the tests could miss an infection, known as a “false negative.”
across the country, prompting high demand for at-home rapid testing. Antigen tests can be done at home, with results in minutes, while PCR tests are processed in labs and have longer turnaround times.“The FDA continues to authorize the use of these tests as directed in the authorized labeling and individuals should continue to use them in accordance with the instructions included with the tests,” the agency said in a statement.
“With with every new variant, we have to make sure that the tests work, and it looks like the tests work for this. But they’re not picking up infections as early as previous versions,” she said. “So if you feel any symptoms but test negative, it’s not a get-out-of-jail-free card. You may need to test again and hold off a little bit on assuming that you’re negative.”
The FDA encouraged follow-up testing Tuesday for anyone who tests negative with a rapid antigen test but is experiencing symptoms. “If a person tests positive with an antigen test, they should self-isolate and seek follow-up care with a health care provider to determine the next steps,” the agency said.that the administration would distribute 500 million rapid COVID-19 tests to U.S. households for free starting in January. The federal government also plans to set up new testing sites nationwide, in addition to the 20,000 already in operation.
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