The Volgograd Region Health Committee emphasizes that these rapid tests, purchased from the regional budget, "are primarily intended for patients 65+ with symptoms of a new coronavirus infection for primary diagnosis."
The examination will be carried out by both medical and nursing teams at home, and specialists from infectious disease rooms of medical institutions during the reception.
“The express antigen method involves taking a swab from the nasopharynx: the result becomes known within eight minutes, while the accuracy is high,” the regional health department explained.
It should be noted that these test systems of the South Korean production of BIOCREDIT COVID-19 Ag, registered in Russia, are entered in the State Register of Medical Devices.
A set of reagents for immunochromatographic detection of SARS-CoV-2 BIOCREDIT COVID-19 Ag antigen consists of 20 test cassettes (test strips with pre-applied reagents - antibodies specific to the coronavirus antigen) individually wrapped in foil; 20 tubes with buffer for biological sample and 20 tips with a dropper.
Rapid test for SARS-CoV-2 antigens Biocredit COVID is a fast alternative to the method of molecular genetic diagnostics PCR (Polymerase chain reaction), which does not require laboratory equipment and special conditions.
Indeed, the regional health authorities confirm that in the Volgograd region a number of methods are used to determine COVID-19: In addition to the mentioned PCR method, this is, for example, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) - but these and similar processes require exclusively laboratory conditions.
According to experts, the WHO policy regarding recommendations for the prevention of coronavirus infection and related issues is not very flexible and not so often updated in favor of real innovations that manifest themselves in the global market. However, among the requirements for the same tests for the coronavirus antigen there is a requirement for a sensitivity of at least 80%.
In this regard, experts were not particularly enthusiastic about the novelty of the Belgian company Coris BioConcept, which specializes in rapid diagnostic kits for the detection of respiratory and gastrointestinal pathogens such as viruses and bacteria.
The coris COVID-19 Ag Respi-Strip tests that entered the Russian market, experts say, were rejected in Europe according to the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO). Since the real sensitivity of these tests is 30%, and the declared one is 60.
The developers of the 15-minute COVID-19 Ag Respi-Strip test themselves believe that it will be most useful in countries with undeveloped laboratory and medical infrastructure in general, although they honestly warn that it is not intended for self-testing, without the participation of a medical professional.
Experts have a great curiosity about who did these tests at a clinic in Russia. It appears along with the outrage, which is generally shared by most of the scientific community: scientific articles are devoted to denouncing these tests, which explain in detail why their use is a huge mistake when it comes to making the final diagnosis. With such and such low sensitivity, additional PCR testing is not optional - it is simply necessary. Articles and publications that call other numbers and are scattered in recommendations to use these tests are nothing more than an attempt to pass on wishful thinking and, of course, make some money on it. And of course, all that remains is to shrug their shoulders and ask - how in general could the appearance of such tests on the market be allowed and how could such a product be promoted in general, given the seriousness of the situation with COVID-19 in the world?
Timur Tanin
Photo: Press office of the Volgograd Region Health Committee
