Is COVID-19 Antigen Test Kit Suitable for COVID-19 Surveillance System in Factory Workers?
Keywords:
ATK, COVID-19 screening test, surveillance, factory, COVID-19Abstract
Background and objective: The spread of COVID-19 in workplaces has been affecting the economic growth of the country. Therefore, the use of antigen test kits (ATK) was a rapid screening tool for COVID-19. The aim was to study the positive predictive value of COVID-19 ATK testing when using it to detect SARS-CoV-2 virus infection in workers who have contact with COVID-19 patients.
Methods: The research study was a retrospective descriptive study. The sample size was the employees who worked in a factory in the Northeastern region and who were in contact with the confirmed COVID-19 patients within 48-72 hours to 14 days. A total number of 117 individuals underwent ATK and RT-PCR testing during the 5th to 7th days after exposure to COVID-19 patients. The ATK (Green Spring Sars-CoV-2 antigen rapid test kit) was applied, and the results were measured for both positive predictive values and negative predictive values.
Results: Among the employees who were tested by RT-PCR, there were 6 individuals who tested positive between the 5th and 7th days after exposure to COVID-19 patients. Hence, they were categorized into very high-risk (4 individuals), high-risk (1 individual), and moderate-risk (1 individual) groups. When testing with ATK, the positive predictive value was 60.0% (95% CI: 14.7%, 94.7%), the negative predictive value was 97.3% (95% CI: 92.4%, 99.4%), the sensitivity was 50.0% (95% CI: 11.8%, 88.2%), the specificity was 98.2% (95% CI: 93.6%, 99.8%), and the accuracy was 95.7% (95% CI: 90.3%, 98.6%).
Conclusion: Antigen test kits (ATK) are suitable for surveillance of new infections among employee groups, who are working in closed and crowded environments.
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