The PCR test capacities are tight in view of the infection situation by Omikron. Therefore, people with suspected corona no longer automatically get a free test. Reliable quick tests for at home are therefore becoming more important again. Two virologists have identified rapid tests that are supposed to recognize Omikron.
Which rapid tests are well suited for detecting a corona infection with the omicron variant? The virologists Sandra Ciesek from Frankfurt and Isabella Eckerle from Geneva investigated this question. In a Twitter post, Ciesek shared three tests that reliably indicate infection with Omikron. must.
Meanwhile, Eckerle conducted a study with seven different rapid tests, in which she tested them for their sensitivity to the omicron variant. After all, this provides a first approach as to which quick tests work well. But not all of the tests discussed in the study can be easily obtained over the Internet or in retail outlets. However, the following tests are available and therefore easy to obtain:
1. Acon Biotech (commercially available as Flowflex SARS-CoV-2); from 1.49 euros/piece
2. Siemens (CLINITEST Rapid COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test); from 4.95 euros/piece
The Paul-Ehrlich-Institut has also examined which corona self-tests are suitable for detecting the currently widespread omicron variants. You can see these in the table below. According to the PEI, all of the quick tests for self-use listed here recognize the Omikron variants just as well as earlier variants due to their mode of action.
In addition, the institute checked the sensitivity of these tests, i.e. how reliably they respond to different viral loads. Only tests with a hit rate of more than 75 percent with a high viral load meet the minimum criteria of the Paul Ehrlich Institute and appear in this list.
* The sensitivity indicates how well the test, according to the PEI test, identified the samples infected with older variants.** The list does not claim to be complete.Source: Paul-Ehrlich-Institut: Comparative evaluation of the sensitivity of SARS-CoV- 2 antigen rapid tests (self-tests rapid tests). Status: 03/24/2022 Download PDF
You can find an overview of all the rapid tests that the institute has reviewed so far in a continuously updated list here.
