Omicron's Rapid Antigen Detection Ability Needs To Be Researched

UNSPLASH ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - The COVID-19 Handling Task Force stated that the ability of rapid antigen tests to detect Omicron variants still requires further research.

"Statements from various health organizations such as the world health organization (WHO), the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) state that the ability of rapid antigen tests to detect Omicron variants still requires further research," said the spokesperson. Wiku Adi Sasmito, the National COVID-19 Handling Task Force, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, January 4.

Wiku said that the rapid antigen test may still be able to detect the presence of infection, but its accuracy could be reduced.

Meanwhile, NAAT-based (Nucleic Acid Amplification Test) tools such as PCR, LAMP (Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification), and TCM that only target one Spike (S) gene have the potential to fail to detect Omicron variants.

"In the case of Omicron which has many changes in the S gene, the use of a NAAT assay that only targets the S gene has the potential to fail to detect Omicron variants," he explained.

Meanwhile, the NAAT test kit that targets more than one gene in addition to the S gene can produce detectable results in other genes, but fails to detect the S gene.

"We still have to continue with whole genome sequencing or better known as WGS," said Wiku.

Previously, the domestically made mBioCov-19 PCR test kit, the result of collaboration between PT Bio Farma and Nusantics, was able to detect the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus with a 100 percent accuracy rate.

"Not all tests can detect mutations specifically," said Director of PT Bio Farma Honesty Basyir.

Honesty said mBioCov-19 has advantages in detecting variants of the COVID-19 virus.

The PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test equipment can detect the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) in both swab and mouth rinse samples.

Based on the in silico test data on 141 sample data from GISAID conducted by Nusantics using mBioCoV-19, Omicron variants can be detected with 100 percent accuracy.