AUTHOR=Yang Yu-Pei , Jiesisibieke Zhu Liduzi , Tung Tao-Hsin 

TITLE=Association Between Rapid Antigen Detection Tests and Real-Time Reverse Transcription–Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay for SARS-CoV-2: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=68

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2023.1605452

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2023.1605452

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objectives:</bold> We aimed to assess the association between rapid antigen detection tests and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and the Web of Science from their inception to 31 May 2023. A random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate false positives in the RADTs group, relative to those in the RT-PCR group, and subgroup analyses were conducted based on the different Ct value cut-offs (&lt;40 or ≥40). We performed this study in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Fifty-one studies were included and considered to be of moderate quality. We found a satisfactory overall false positive rate (0.01, 95% CI: 0.00–0.01) for the RADTs compared to RT-PCR. In the stratified analysis, we also found that the false positive rates of the RADTs did not increase when Ct values of RT-PCR (Ct &lt; 40, 0.01, 95% CI: 0.00–0.01; Ct ≥ 40, 0.01, 95% CI: 0.00–0.01).</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> In conclusion, the best available evidence supports an association between RADTs and RT-PCR. When Ct-values were analyzed using cut-off &lt;40 or ≥40, this resulted in an estimated false positive rate of only 1%.</p>