Antigen Tests Detect Omicron and Delta Virus Variants Similarly

A non-peer-reviewed study published on Feb. 28, 2022, presented a non-pre-specified analysis to determine if the sensitivity of rapid antigen tests (Ag-RDT) differed in participants with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus Delta compared to the Omicron variant.

This study found the performance of Ag-RDT is not inferior among the Omicron variant compared to the Delta variant.

And the improvement in sensitivity of Ag-RDT with serial testing is consistent between Delta and Omicron variants.

The current analysis used data from 5,726 participants in a prospective cohort study part of NIH's RADx initiative, Test Us At Home.

"I think it gives us some peace of mind," said Nathaniel Hafer, Ph.D., assistant professor of molecular medicine and lead investigator of the RADx Tech Clinical Studies Core Logistics Team, in a media statement published on Mar. 11, 2022.

"With omicron, there was a lot of stress about the number of new mutations, which led to scare over increased spread because omicron multiplies very quickly in the body."

"Even despite these things, there are tools at our disposal that are still useful in detecting infections, which is reassuring."

This study was authored by UMass Chan Medical School and associated researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health.

No industry conflicts of interest were disclosed.