Study Builds Case for More COVID-19 Antigen Testing
As the world begins to emerge from its congested 1st year of managing SARS-COVID, we enter into a ‘next phase’ of wishful management, often described as vaccination. Now despite the brazen approach of our friends at Big Pharma, in concert with hallowed medical and research ‘eager-beavers’ institutes around the globe, all wanting to be ‘’the Winner’, we remain none the wiser as to whether a mass vaccination (one or more products even being used) would ‘contain the contagion’.
Upon one approach you can be certain…that of the necessity for ‘post vaccination’ continual screening using unintrusive rapid testing. We are not referring to the, falsely titled, ‘Gold Standard’ RT-Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests, where false positives are possible, the ‘isolated RNA’ is questionable (i.e. there could be a bunch of viruses identified as SARS-CoV-2), chain of custody questions, and in a split second you can find yourself in a ward with people who are positive.
Instead, and more pragmatically we are referring to rapid Antigen tests, which since their emergence in the second half of 2020 (discarded in the main by medical science for their availability to the general public, under the guise of not being 100% accurate) have undergone phenomenal improvements in specimen collection and in performance.
Here is a recent article from Forbes highlighting that more and more countries are adopting rapid home testing as another tool against the spread of this disease:
What is the difference between the Antibody test and the Antigen test?
In short, the antibodies tell us if you have already had the virus. The antigens tell us if you are currently fighting the disease (even if you are asymptomatic).
This article discusses the two types of tests and their accuracy:
https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-tests-are-pretty-accurate-but-far-from-perfect-136671
One of the observations that stood out was particularly germane to this discussion:
False negatives could occur if a person is tested too early or too late during their infection and there isn’t a lot of virus in their cells. And finally, errors can happen if a sample sits too long before being tested, which allows the viral RNA to break down.
This is particularly disturbing in that PCR tests performed at a hospital or doctor’s office can be expensive and the sample can breakdown by the time it is tested at a lab.
With the rapid antigen tests, even if a test is a false negative, a new test can be administered hours later to double confirm the negative result. The V-Chek test‘s accuracy and cost ensures that multiple tests can be administered at different intervals with no chain of custody issues, at a fraction of what one test would cost at a private medical center.
To order the V-Chek tests, please contact us at +852 9302 8179 on Whatsapp. Sorry for any inconvenience.
The need for the antibody tests is not nearly as urgent as the need for the antigen tests. The antibodies test can help those already recovered breathe easier, knowing that they probably have some level of immunity to the disease. There are a few documented cases of reinfection, but I am not sure if they are conclusive.
Since we are currently focused on selling the antigen tests and keeping our schools, businesses, restaurants, and bars open, we will discuss them and our suggestions in greater detail.
Nasal Swabs may be history:
Originally a patient would be tortured with a nasal swab which, in the hands of many ‘health professionals’ made the Inquisition seem tame and/or brought on severe sinusitis. These experiences, akin to my memories of dental nurses in the 70s, hardly encourage potential patients to volunteer to be tested.
Peek Concepts, in its dogged pursuit to find cutting edge, effective, and affordable products, has scoured the globe to get our corner of the world back to the ‘new normal’ and we are proud to identify the latest in testing technology for rapid antigen testing, our V-Chek Rapid Saliva Antigen Tests which require nothing more than spitting saliva into a tube, shaking it around and dropping a few drops on a strip. 10 minutes later, you have your results.
Saliva Tests: NOBODY can mess up this one
It’s as easy as that and 99% specificity, with no false positives. Finally, a non-invasive test that’s not painful or uncomfortable at an extremely affordable price.
These are also CE Authorized, which means they can be sold into the European Union. Most of the products you see in the stores locally have not gone through the rigorous testing and quality assurances required for this certification. A CE Marking process includes a rigorous examination of quality manufacturing procedures and indicates to the public that the marked device meets the standards set by the Union for products and medical devices.
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_2483
If you were wondering about efficacy of the saliva tests, we’ve searched and found a comprehensive article published in ‘The Scientist’ which details comparisons between nasal and saliva tests, but ALSO goes further to suggest that are old nemesis SARS-CoV-2 hangs around in Saliva for many days…even in the Tropics!
How long does it take to get results for an antigen test?
Currently there are several tests on the market. The PCR test is the most common, but requires a minimum of 24 hours and a lab to perform it. This would, actually, be quite laughable if it weren’t so serious. The best way to contain an outbreak is to detect this disease when a person is most infectious.
According to this very comprehensive and excellent, FACT SHEET COVID-19 disease (SARS-CoV-2 virus) written by scientists from the Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases Unit of Sciensano:
Viral load in the upper respiratory tract is highest around the day of symptom onset, followed by a gradual decline over time (97–104). A recent meta-analysis of 21 studies aiming at understanding antibody and viral RNA detection kinetics during SARS-CoV-2 infection, found that detection of RNA from upper respiratory tract samples was higher at symptom onset.
So, time is of the essence, when testing a person who has begun to show symptoms. This can only be ensured with a rapid antigen test kit.
The V-Check Rapid Saliva Antigen Tests are the fastest, cheapest and most accurate tests on the market. At 99% specificity and results in under 10 minutes, we are asking ourselves why aren’t more schools and businesses opting to purchase these test kits? Why aren’t these being used at airports?
We think it is important that everyone from a family of four, to a restaurant group, to a school, all the way up to an airport or hospital, should have access to these tests at a reasonable price.
These kits also ensure privacy when testing you and your family, if done from home.
Stay safe! Get tested! Know, don’t guess!
Please contact us with any questions: hello@peekconcepts
Cell/WhatsApp: +852 9302 8179
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