Evaluating the accuracy of COVID-19 rapid screening and diagnostic tests

Summary

This is a rapid review with network-meta analysis to determine the most sensitive and specific rapid test for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. Rapid molecular tests were associated with both high sensitivity and specificity, while rapid antigen tests were mainly associated with high specificity, according to the minimum performance requirements by WHO and Health Canada.

Project Resources

Funded By

  • This project was funded in part by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research grant (GSR-154442) under the SPOR initiative, through the SPOR Evidence Alliance, and by the Health Research Board, Ireland.

Principal Investigator

  • Areti Angeliki Veroniki

Co-Investigators

  • Wanrudee Isaranuwatchai
  • Sharon E. Straus
  • Andrea Tricco
  • Jennifer Watt

Collaborators

  • Adrienne Chan (Sunnybrook Research Institute)
  • Jacqueline Dinnes (University of Birmingham)
  • Amanda Doherty-Kirby*
  • Bryn Lander (Health Canada)
  • Julian Little (University of Ottawa)
  • Patrick Mallon (University College Dublin)
  • Jessie McGowan (University of Ottawa)
  • Adrienne Meyers (PHAC)
  • David Moher (Ottawa Hospital Research Institute)
  • Ahmed Negm (University of Alberta)
  • Guillaume Poliquin (PHAC)
  • Lynora Saxinger (University of Alberta)
  • Yemisi Takwoingi (University of Birmingham)
  • Paul Taylor*
  • Sofia Tsokani (University of Ioannina)
  • Sabrina Wong (University of British Columbia)

KTP Project Staff

  • Paul A. Khan
  • Carole Lunny
  • Charlene Soobiah

*Patient Partner: These individuals could be patients (an individual with a health condition), family members of a patient (e.g. parent, spouse, adult child or other close family member of a patient not capable of decision-making), caregivers (family, relative, friends or neighbours providing unpaid assistance to someone with a health condition/limitation), people with lived experience (those with first-hand experience of the topic of interest,), or members of the public at large.