Evaluation of the AMP SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test in a Hospital Setting

Leixner, Georg; Voill-Glaninger, Astrid; Bonner, Elisabeth; Kreil, Anna; Zadnikar, René; Viveiros, André

OBJECTIVES: Quick and inexpensive SARS-CoV-2 screening and frontline testing are of growing demand. The aim of our study was to evaluate the performance of the immunochromatographic AMP rapid antigen test (AMP RAT) in comparison with the gold-standard real-time reverse transcription PCR (rRT-PCR) in a hospital cohort. METHODS: A total of 392 patients, who presented consecutively with COVID-19 symptoms at our emergency department, were included in this retrospective study. Two swabs were collected per patient: a nasopharyngeal for the RAT and a combined naso- and oropharyngeal for the rRT-PCR. A positive rRT-PCR (defined as cycle threshold (Ct) < 40) was found in 94 (24%) patients. RESULTS: In our cohort with a median patient age of 70, overall sensitivity and specificity of the AMP RAT was 69.1% (58.8 – 78.3, 95% CI) and 99.7% (98.1 – 100.0, 95% CI), respectively. In patients with a Ct value < 25 and < 30, higher sensitivities of 100.0% (89.4 – 100.0, 95% CI) and 91.8% (81.9 – 97.3%, 95% CI) could be observed. CONCLUSIONS: The AMP RAT showed a high sensitivity in patients with a Ct value < 25 and < 30 and might be useful for frontline testing, whenever rRT-PCR is not rapidly feasible.