Accuracy is as important as speed when ensuring proper diagnosis and infection management. With the need to speed up testing, results can sometimes come at a cost in terms of accuracy. It can result in false negatives and false positives. The public is wondering how accurate rapid COVID tests are and what brands are the more trustworthy and reliable.

What is the difference between each type of rapid COVID tests?

The question “how accurate are rapid COVID tests” has been a source of concern to many. Some scientists believe that rapid test kits have substituted accuracy for speed. A high rapid COVID test false positive rate has been extensively observed. Popularly, two types of this test exist:

• A rapid COVID test that identifies proteins on the virus (antigens) 
• The other detects the COVID-19 genetic material, very similar to how the RT-PCR testing is done

The MyZone Test Kit uses the antigen detection method for rapid results and faster isolation of potential virus carriers. This also helps healthcare professionals in confirming suspicious cases and providing more thorough diagnoses.

Why is there a concern?

Most people are interested in test kits for convenience and speed. People want to know whether they are positive or not as quickly as possible and take the next necessary measures. They also want to know that the tests are as accurate as they could be.

The pandemic has affected the world so badly that false alarms on a positive COVID case can disturb the livelihood of such individuals.

What do the studies say?

So far, many studies have been done to establish the rapid COVID test false positive rate. The rapid COVID test kits were found to be more accurate in the first week after symptoms were observed. There is, however, a limitation with this because some infected individuals do not present any symptoms.

A study reported that in symptomless individuals, a 17 % false positive rate was recorded using the genetic rapid test. In every 100 symptomless people, about 17 individuals were wrongly diagnosed as positive for the virus. For this, about 17 families for every 100 would have to go through an incredible amount of stress and panic for no reason.

In comparison, the rapid antigen COVID test records a much lower false positive rate, going around 0.6 %, proving to be the more reliable option.

Who to trust?

The benefits of rapid COVID test kits still rely on the fact that confirmatory reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests are still essential for the general population. Both are important and should be considered when picking a screening method.

Although, when assessing how accurate are rapid COVID tests and the differences between each brand, the most important thing will always come down to government sanctioning and peer-proofed research.

MyZone Test Kits are a trustworthy rapid option, being approved by Health Canada and using the same technology and materials that governments from all over the world are employing to test their officials.

What are the benefits of rapid COVID tests?

Rapid COVID test kits offer several benefits over conventional RT-PCR testing. Here are some very notable advantages:

• Portable and can be carried from place to place easily
• Instead of going to testing a facility, you can do the test yourself at home
• Not very technical, anyone can do rapid COVID tests
• Can be delivered home
• Not as expensive
• Offers quick results

Rapid antigen testing has become a reliable option for millions of people around the world, especially for those who have might not have the time or money to get more comprehensive lab exams. Try the new MyZone Test Kits and protect yourself and your loved ones.