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. 2021 Nov;26(44):2100441.
doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.44.2100441.

Comparative sensitivity evaluation for 122 CE-marked rapid diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2 antigen, Germany, September 2020 to April 2021

Heinrich Scheiblauer  1 , Angela Filomena  1 , Andreas Nitsche  2 , Andreas Puyskens  2 , Victor M Corman  3   4 , Christian Drosten  3 , Karin Zwirglmaier  5 , Constanze Lange  6 , Petra Emmerich  7 , Michael Müller  8 , Olivia Knauer  1 , C Micha Nübling  1
Affiliations

Comparative sensitivity evaluation for 122 CE-marked rapid diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2 antigen, Germany, September 2020 to April 2021

Heinrich Scheiblauer et al. Euro Surveill. 2021 Nov.

Erratum in

  • Author's correction for Euro Surveill. 2021;26(44).
    Eurosurveillance editorial team. Eurosurveillance editorial team. Euro Surveill. 2022 Jan;27(3):210120c. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.27.3.210120c. Euro Surveill. 2022. PMID: 35057898 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

Abstract

IntroductionNumerous CE-marked SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag RDT) are offered in Europe, several of them with unconfirmed quality claims.AimWe performed an independent head-to-head evaluation of the sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 Ag RDT offered in Germany.MethodsWe addressed the sensitivity of 122 Ag RDT in direct comparison using a common evaluation panel comprised of 50 specimens. Minimum sensitivity of 75% for panel specimens with a PCR quantification cycle (Cq) ≤ 25 was used to identify Ag RDT eligible for reimbursement in the German healthcare system.ResultsThe sensitivity of different SARS-CoV-2 Ag RDT varied over a wide range. The sensitivity limit of 75% for panel members with Cq ≤ 25 was met by 96 of the 122 tests evaluated; 26 tests exhibited lower sensitivity, few of which failed completely. Some RDT exhibited high sensitivity, e.g. 97.5 % for Cq < 30.ConclusionsThis comparative evaluation succeeded in distinguishing less sensitive from better performing Ag RDT. Most of the evaluated Ag RDT appeared to be suitable for fast identification of acute infections associated with high viral loads. Market access of SARS-CoV-2 Ag RDT should be based on minimal requirements for sensitivity and specificity.

Keywords: CE mark; COVID 19; SARS-CoV-2 antigen; rapid diagnostic test; sensitivity evaluation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None declared.

Comment in

References

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