Talk:COVID-19 rapid antigen test

Attribution
We might add Template:Split article since this article was split from Rapid antigen test. --- Another Believer ( Talk ) 14:54, 19 May 2021 (UTC)
 * Done -Mvolz (talk) 14:59, 19 May 2021 (UTC)
 * Thanks! --- Another Believer ( Talk ) 18:54, 19 May 2021 (UTC)

How?
Shouldn't the article say something about how the test is administered (by sampling and analyzing what – mucus, blood, breath, ...)? --Lambiam 12:47, 11 July 2021 (UTC)

Indeed - and how does the test work? What molecules or parts of molecules does it detect? How is the detection transformed into a visible reading. What sources of inaccuracy are there, such as in the sampling, use of the kit itself or ambiguity in interpreting the visible result? How soon after exposure will the test produce a positive result? How does this relate to symptoms and viral shedding? How long after illness is the test likely to produce positive results? Does this vary with intensity and duration of illness? Does it detect Long-COVID? I don't recall seeing a Wikipedia article which has nothing about mechanisms. Robin Whittle (talk) 00:50, 27 October 2021 (UTC)
 * Agree with above. This article is written ineptly. Xxanthippe (talk) 23:28, 14 December 2021 (UTC).

?false positives
?false positives and negatives in the rapid Covid test 2600:1012:B116:5591:F810:1DE9:42BC:D67F (talk) 23:12, 24 May 2022 (UTC)

false results?
false results? 2600:1012:B116:5591:F810:1DE9:42BC:D67F (talk) 23:14, 24 May 2022 (UTC)

Significant change to the "Methods" section
The second paragraph of the Methods  section tries to describe how an LFT works, but is very confusing. I'd like to rewrite it, but I'm concerned about making such a large change in one step. So, below is my rewrite of that paragraph:

A typical COVID-19 RAT is a lateral flow test (LFT). For an LFT, a liquid sample (such as from a nasal swab) is placed on a pad at one end of a porous paper-like strip. The liquid is pulled through the strip by wicking (capillary action), encountering different chemically-enhanced regions embedded within the strip.

First, at a "conjugate pad," soluble antibodies with gold nanoparticles are picked up by the liquid, attaching to any SARS-CoV-2 antigens present in the sample. Then, at the test line (which may be labelled "T"), antibodies specific to SARS-CoV-2 are anchored to the strip; these bind to any SARS-CoV-2 antigens, capturing the associated nanoparticles. Finally at the control line (which may be labelled "C"), antibodies that can attach to the antibodies with nanoparticles are anchored, capturing the remaining nanoparticles.

If there are no SARS-CoV-2 antigens present, then the gold nanoparticles are carried by the liquid, continue through the test line, and then captured at the control line, showing a single indicating a negative test. However, if there are antigens present, then some of the nanoparticles will be stopped at the test line and the rest will be stopped at the control line, showing two lines indicating a positive test.

I'd be grateful for any feedback; or, if you like, just edit the results into the page. -- Dan Griscom (talk) 03:44, 10 January 2024 (UTC)


 * OK; I've edited it in. -- Dan Griscom (talk) 22:00, 12 January 2024 (UTC)