How reliable is the home ATK tests?

[Eaglekott]

One of my friends started to feel a sore throat on Thursday last week, She did a ATK that was negative. Then of Friday she had 37.7ºC even more sore and slightly Cough. a new ATK showed a very vague red positive line. Test on Saturday showed a strong red line, almost black. And on Monday she went to Hospital from her Dr Recommendations, She felt much better on Monday with no fever and just a sore throat and some cough but went anyway. At the hospital she was tested Negative. Dr told her to do a new home ATK after the visit and she did that on Tuesday. The home ATK showed Positive.

 

I have not spoken to her today, Wednesday, so I don't know if she has even tested today yet.

 

But I found it very strange she was Negative at hospital, and then positiva day after at home, or is the home Kit she has so much more sensitive?

 

BTW she tried 2 brands of ATK, and people around her has showed negative with tests from the same box.

 

[NanLaew]

Buy half-a-dozen of one brand of RTK test and stay home, self-isolating and testing daily until she gets two consecutive negatives. Trekking back and forth to doctors surgeries,  clinics and hospitals is on a hiding for nothing.

 

Trying different brand tests is a waste of time and money when one only really wants to see a negative test result.

Edited February 23, 2022 by NanLaew

[Eaglekott]

4 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Tecking back and forth to doctrs and hospitals is on a hiding fo nothing.

She has a heart condition so the Dr wanted to see her to verify all is ok, otherwise she would not have gone anywhere.

[NanLaew]

5 minutes ago, Eaglekott said:

She has a heart condition so the Dr wanted to see her to verify all is ok, otherwise she would not have gone anywhere.

OK, then as I recommended earlier, self-isolate at home from now on and self test until well.

[Eaglekott]

3 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

OK, then as I recommended earlier, self-isolate at home from now on and self test until well.

Still funny or strange she was tested negative at the Hospital, you would think the hospital tests is more reliable or more sensitive than when you test at home.  And yes she is home, in self quarantine. 

[Golden Triangle]

None of this actually answers the original question !!

[Dan O]

She is most likely Covid positive. ATK test are typically very accurate on the positive side of testing as long as it's not one of the cheap Chinese test as those were very suspect about performance. They tend to be less accurate on negatives as the way a sample is taken (swab) impacts the test function as does poor transfer of swab to test fluid technique.  The newest information seems to show the newest Omicron sub-variant has been shown to avoid both PCR testing and also appears to have higher vaccine penetration in many cases. 

[Virt]

Denmark tested 46 brands and they ranged from 2,5% - 94% in accuracy so it's a jungle out there.

Not peer reviewed, but still shows that quick tests varies a lot in quality.

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.hvidovrehospital.dk/presse-og-nyt/pressemeddelelser-og-nyheder/nyheder-fra-hvidovre-hospital/PublishingImages/Sider/Antigentests-svinger-voldsomt-i-kvalitet/A nationwide analytical and clinical evaluation of 46 rapid antigen tests for SARS-CoV-.pdf

 

 

[Eaglekott]

14 minutes ago, Dan O said:

as long as it's not one of the cheap Chinese test

I asked her and the test she has been using is Chinese, Shenzhen Lvshiyuan Biotechnology. Are they more accurate than the once they are using in hospitals? Or do they say you are positive even if its not Covid, but the common flue?

 

Maybe China want every one to test positive even if it's something else? 

[Eaglekott]

39 minutes ago, Dan O said:

The newest information seems to show the newest Omicron sub-variant has been shown to avoid both PCR testing and also appears to have higher vaccine penetration in many cases.

Sorry to ask, where did you get this information from?

[Virt]

1 minute ago, Eaglekott said:

Sorry to ask, where did you get this information from?

He might be refeering to a few of these articles.

Many similar online.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-10318377/Fauci-says-rapid-COVID-19-tests-INACCURATE-unable-regularly-detect-Omicron.html

 

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/omicron-evades-immunity-better-than-delta-danish-study-finds-2022-01-03/

[richard_smith237]

I think they are quite reliable…

 

Son started feeling headachey with a sore throat - tested ATK positive. 
Wife tested negative. 
 

The following evening Wife tested ATK positive. 
 

In-laws had been over a few days earlier, both tested ATK positive a few days later at the same time as my Wife. 

Based on that alone I figured the ATK are quite reliable. 
 

Wife & Son tested with kits brought over from the UK.

 

Inlaws tested with kits bought in 7-11. 

 

Edited February 23, 2022 by richard_smith237

[Eaglekott]

18 minutes ago, Virt said:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-10318377/Fauci-says-rapid-COVID-19-tests-INACCURATE-unable-regularly-detect-Omicron.html

Interesting how they change from his quote "Might not" to "May not" to "Can not" in the same article. They change it from he don't know to he say it can't.

 

It might be the other way around, that the Omicron variant is much more detectable than Delta and others so that is why we se a so huge spike in cases. If I understand this correct Omicron variant has the highest amount of protein spikes and can it be the protein spikes the ATK tests react on?  Just a thought.

[StayinThailand2much]

Don't they use PCR tests at the hospital? One would think they are more reliable than ATK tests. 

 

But yes, I read too that Omicron is better at evading tests.

[StayinThailand2much]

12 hours ago, Eaglekott said:

a very vague red positive line

That's a clear positive indicator.

[Dan O]

4 hours ago, Eaglekott said:

Sorry to ask, where did you get this information from?

FDA and CDC have posted this since December. Just google it and you'll see a number of articles and references from them and others 

[Dan O]

3 hours ago, Eaglekott said:

 

 

It might be the other way around, that the Omicron variant is much more detectable than Delta and others so that is why we se a so huge spike in cases. If I understand this correct Omicron variant has the highest amount of protein spikes and can it be the protein spikes the ATK tests react on?  Just a thought.

ATK and PCR are two totally different tests looking for or detecting different aspects of Covid. PCR is looking for a match to a specified section of genetic material in Covid, where ATK are looking for Antigens your body produces after infection. At least 1 of the new sub-variant of Omicron has a slightly different genetic signature and that's one reason it's getting missed with some PCR testing. Also, Omicron is breaking thru vaccines and infecting vaxxed as it has 30 some mutations and 6 or 8 additional protein spikes which the existing vaccines aren't engineered to block yet. 

[Eaglekott]

6 hours ago, Dan O said:

FDA and CDC have posted this since December. Just google it and you'll see a number of articles and references from them and others 

What I would think is that the test has evolved since December and tests they manufacture today are adjusted to detect omicron.

[Eaglekott]

6 hours ago, Dan O said:

FDA and CDC have posted this since December. Just google it and you'll see a number of articles and references from them and others 

I did and just found articles from December and a few in early January that say ATK might not detect. Like they were not sure.

Some even say PCR migt not detect, while some say PCR does.

[Dan O]

1 hour ago, Eaglekott said:

I did and just found articles from December and a few in early January that say ATK might not detect. Like they were not sure.

Some even say PCR migt not detect, while some say PCR does.

I see articles although to the end of January and those are reference sub-variants of omicron that are referred to as stealth that some pcr testing has shown not to pick it up.

 

You asked what was going on with your friends test and if atk are reliable which they are. Not sure what else to tell you.

 

It appears based on what you said about the ATK results on multiple tests and brands being positive that your friend has covid. If they have a heart condition I hope they stay in contact with the doctor and follow their advice. 

[Eaglekott]

I found this image here: 

 

https://english.elpais.com/usa/2022-01-11/covid-19-antigen-tests-in-the-age-of-omicron-understanding-reliability-results-and-false-negatives.html

 

I think its very informative.

 

 

Still I think its strange that my friend was tested negative by the Hospital, she is still positive in home ATK.

[Eaglekott]

If you see this picture is it positive or not?

 

[richard_smith237]

On 2/24/2022 at 6:09 AM, Eaglekott said:

I found this image here: 

 

https://english.elpais.com/usa/2022-01-11/covid-19-antigen-tests-in-the-age-of-omicron-understanding-reliability-results-and-false-negatives.html

 

I think its very informative.

 

 

Still I think its strange that my friend was tested negative by the Hospital, she is still positive in home ATK.

I've witnessed the same.

2x positive ATK tests in a row.

1x Negative RT-PCR result the following day with continued positive ATK test for another 5 days.

Day 6 negative ATK.

 

It was strange that PCR didn’t pick it up, but symptoms were there, sore throat, fever for 24 hrs (and all 4 people who had spent the night in the same house tested ATK positive 3 days later). 

[richard_smith237]

25 minutes ago, Eaglekott said:

If you see this picture is it positive or not?

 

Perhaps retest again tomorrow and see whether the result is stronger. 

It could be either the beginning or the end of the infection cycle.