SYNLAB will include latest generation antigen tests in its portfolio for possible use in symptomatic individuals

• Antigen tests not suited for testing of asymptomatic patients and hence mass screenings.
• RT-PCR tests or an equivalent method still most reliable way to test asymptomatic patients.

SYNLAB, the leading medical diagnostic services provider in Europe, announces that it will include the latest generation of antigen tests in its test portfolio which are expected to perform well in patients with high viral loads.

Tremendous accomplishments and progress have recently been achieved in the field of antigen tests, also known as rapid tests, which enable fast testing of symptomatic patients. Measuring the presence or absence of viral proteins (antigens), antigen tests usually provide results diagnosing an active SARS-CoV-2 infection much faster than RT-PCR or equivalent tests.

Even though antigen tests are within the Group’s portfolio since May, SYNLAB decided to not apply antigen tests for mass screenings or other screenings of asymptomatic individuals. SYNLAB will stick to this decision. The background is that even the latest generation of antigen tests have a lower sensitivity than RT-PCR or equivalent RNA-based tests, and as a result they are much more likely to give false-negative results in individuals with lower amounts of virus. This makes them unreliable in individuals with an asymptomatic course of the disease, in individuals in the first days of infection, and later than 5-7 days after onset of symptoms.

SYNLAB’s decision is based on manufacturers’ description of the intended clinical use and the recently published WHO Interim Guidance on antigen detection. According to the latter, Antigen tests should not be used to test individuals without symptoms, where the prevalence is very low, for airport or border screening or for screening prior to blood donation.

SYNLAB recommends RT-PCR tests or an equivalent method for asymptomatic patients as these methods so far are the only reliable way to test and discover contagious individuals before the onset of symptoms and with the highest sensitivity. 

Please read more about SYNLAB’s assessment of tests for SARS-CoV-2 here.