Evaluation of the Abbott Panbio(TM) COVID-19 Ag Rapid Antigen Test for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Asymptomatic Canadians

Shaw, Julie L V; Deslandes, Vincent; Smith, Jennifer; Desjardins, Marc

BACKGROUND: Several rapid testing methodologies have been approved for testing of symptomatic individuals but have not been validated for asymptomatic screening. We evaluated performance of the Abbott Panbio(TM) COVID-19 rapid antigen assay in the asymptomatic setting. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study in an urban assessment center and in the context of long-term care staff screening. A total of 3014 individuals submitted paired nasopharyngeal samples, which were tested in parallel with the rapid antigen and laboratory-based, RT-PCR assays SARS-CoV-2 detection. RESULTS: There was 54.5% concordance in positive results between the rapid antigen assay and RT-PCR. All positive rapid antigen assay results were confirmed by RT-PCR. The negative predictive value of the rapid antigen assay minimally improved on the negative pre-test probability of SARS-CoV-2 infection. DISCUSSION: The Abbott Panbio(TM) COVID-19 rapid antigen test allowed for faster identification of infected individuals but cannot be used to rule-out SARS-CoV-2 infection.