Sensitivity and specificity of the antigen-based anterior nasal self-testing programme for detecting SARS-CoV-2 infection in schools, Austria, March 2021.

Abstract

This study evaluates the performance of the antigen-based anterior nasal screening programme implemented in all Austrian schools to detect SARS-CoV-2 infections. We combined nationwide antigen-based screening data obtained in March 2021 from 5,370 schools (Grade 1-8) with an RT-qPCR-based prospective cohort study comprising a representative sample of 244 schools. Considering a range of assumptions, only a subset of infected individuals are detected with the programme (low to moderate sensitivity) and non-infected individuals mainly tested negative (very high specificity).

• Authors: Peter Willeit, Benoît Bernar, Christoph Zurl, Mariam Al-Rawi, Andrea Berghold, David Bernhard, Wegene Borena, Christian Doppler, Reinhold Kerbl, Alwin Köhler, Robert Krause, Bernd Lamprecht, Johannes Pröll, Hannes Schmidt, Ivo Steinmetz, Evelyn Stelzl, Heribert Stoiber, Dorothee von Laer, Johannes Zuber, Thomas Müller, Volker Strenger, Michael Wagner
• Journal: Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin (Euro Surveill) Vol. 26 Issue 34 (08 2021) ISSN: 1560-7917 [Electronic] Sweden
• PMID: 34448449 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Austria
• COVID-19
• Humans
• Prospective Studies
• SARS-CoV-2
• Schools
• Self-Testing