Europe eyes antigen tests to keep elderly safe

As Europe tries to break surging second wave of coronavirus infections, some countries are betting on a new of test to avoid closing care homes to visitors, a move that caused considerable anguish among residents and relatives in spring.

So-called antigen tests, which look for a specific protein on virus, were first launched months ago.

y are cheap and fast, but experts said at time that y are also less accurate than standard PCR test, which detects even tiniest genetic footprint of virus.

Scientists in Switzerland recently scrutinized two widely available antigen tests, sold by Chicago-based Abbott Laboratories and Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche.

researchers concluded that out of 100 people infected with new coronavirus only between 85 and 89 tested positive using antigen method.

"One big vant of se tests would be that you, for example, can build up a decentralized testing centre," said Isabella Eckerle, who hes centre for emerging viral diseases at University of Geneva where tests were validated.

"So you build up a tent, let's say, in front of a school or in a park, and n people can come and n after 15 minutes, y will kw if y are positive or t."

Some experts say that a negative result from an antigen test could refore be sufficient to allow people without symptoms to leave quarantine or return to school or work, giving greater freedoms particularly to children and young ults who are less at risk from serious illness.

Eckerle, of University of Geneva, was sceptical.

"I would t call m a game changer," she said.

"I think y are a very nice and very important dition that comes exactly at right time. But because y are less sensitive than our standard tests, we kw that we would probably still miss a small proportion of infectious cases. So I think we should t be tempted to think that once you have a negative result we can go back to a rmal life."

(Im Credit: AP)