It will take something on the order of 200 million COVID-19 screening tests per month, as opposed to the 25 million being performed currently, to safely reopen the U.S., estimates a new report from Duke University. Because of their low costs, scalability and speed, antigen tests may play a crucial role in meeting this unprecedented level of demand, particularly in nursing home, educational and workplace settings. However, if antigen testing is to be the answer, there is one significant problem that will need to be addressed: lack of reliable and consistent test data reporting. The Promise of Antigen Testing What the country and world need right now are point-of-care tests that can deliver accurate results at cost-effective prices that can be utilized to screen asymptomatic populations. Molecular tests using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) to detect RNA material from the SARS-CoV-2 virus performed at an offsite laboratory are accurate but too slow and expensive to satisfy the need for screening services. Blood-based serology tests that detect SARS-CoV-2 antibodies are better suited for widespread and rapid screening, but lack the specificity and sensitivity of RT PCR assays. Antigen tests that detect viruses indirectly by identifying the presence of antigens or […]