College of Medial Laboratory Science warns of pitfalls in rapid antigen testing

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The government was currently relying solely on rapid antigen tests for its random testing programme and that could lead to issues unless special attention was paid to errors in such test results, President of the College of Medical Laboratory Science, Ravi Kumudesh warned yesterday.

Kumudesh told The Island that rapid antigen tests were a quick fix, it was common for those tests to have errors.

Kumudesh said: “We need to have an external quality control mechanism to verify these results. Before sending people to quarantine or treatment centres based on rapid antigen tests, the health minister can also subject them to PCR tests.”

Commenting on the random testing that was being conducted, Kumudesh said that at least 10 mobile labs should be set up by the government, and they should have the ability to conduct both PCR tests and rapid antigen tests. Unfortunately, the Health Ministry hadn’t paid attention to it, he said.

“The Health Ministry doesn’t talk to relevant professionals about testing at the grassroots. Practical issues at that level are not addressed as a result. If we fail to provide accurate test results people will lose their faith in the entire system.

“There are four ministers entrusted with various aspects of health. However, the President has to say where random testing has to be done. For the ministry to take swift action, the President has to issue orders. It is obvious that this is not a healthy situation. The COVID-19 eradication programme will head for a serious crisis if relevant officers twiddle their thumbs until the President issues orders.”

Kumudesh said that while replacing PCR tests with rapid antigen testing would produce a large number of false data and wrong mapping of the COVID hotspots.

However, given the current health crisis, they were not opposed to the use of rapid antigen test kits strategically, he said.

Kumudesh said: “In the broader context, the rapid antigen testing is like a straw given to a desperate drowning man but we are in a position where even this straw might come in handy. We believe that the sensitivity of the test, based on peer reviewed research conducted by other countries, to be around 50-60%. The Health Ministry must create an algorithm, identify areas where PCR testing can’t be done and use the rapid tests there. It would be good even if we can get some results in an area where PCR testing is impossible but it will be a mess if we try to substitute rapid antigen testing for PCR testing.”