Antigen Testing for COVID-19 Asymptomatic Screening: Why it Should be Preferred Over PCR Insights From Navy Region...

Area of Science:

• Infectious Disease
• Diagnostic Testing
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is widely used for asymptomatic screening but identifies non-infectious individuals.
• This leads to unnecessary isolation, impacting military operations and manning.
• Antigen testing offers a more accurate measure of infectiousness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of antigen testing versus PCR for asymptomatic screening.
• To determine the impact of testing strategies on public health and operational readiness.
• To review literature and real-world data on viral culture, PCR, and antigen testing.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on studies with viral culture, PCR, and antigen testing.
• Analysis of Navy Region Japan's antigen testing strategy.
• Examination of challenges with persistent PCR positives and benefits of antigen testing.

Main Results:

• Antigen tests, though less sensitive, detect the majority of infectious individuals with higher viral loads.
• Antigen testing increases the certainty of benefit from isolation by identifying truly infectious individuals.
• Widespread antigen testing can reduce the risk of isolating non-infectious individuals.

Conclusions:

• Antigen testing is a more effective strategy for asymptomatic screening than PCR.
• Implementing antigen testing improves public health outcomes and operational efficiency.
• Antigen testing minimizes the adverse impacts associated with isolating non-infectious individuals.