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The white paper outlines a roadmap for the way in which a fully integrated mobile rapid antigen testing strategy can play a central role in the ongoing surveillance required to contain the spread of COVID-19 as governments accelerate their vaccination programmes.
The paper, which is supported by iXensor, the pioneer of mobile health that developed the world’s first FDA-approved smartphone camera-based blood test, explores the impact that the use of COVID-19 rapid antigen testing has already had on infection rates where it has been deployed in tandem with PCR testing, allowing health authorities to quickly identify localised outbreaks and isolate cases.
Ultimately, it suggests the idea that a testing model which puts a universally adopted device - the smartphone - at the heart of testing and reporting, could enable a release from the economic and social restrictions caused by the pandemic. As the paper explains, one of the benefits of rapid antigen testing is the role it can play in a comprehensive surveillance strategy. This includes a digital health pass, cloud-based data center and full integration with track-and-trace systems.
Speed and test frequency are of the essence
The paper is introduced by HIMSS Chief Clinical Officer Dr Charles Alessi, who advocates greater collaboration on the development of testing models that speed up response while providing the necessary specificity and sensitivity.
“These tests are now being deployed more and more frequently globally, often repeatedly and on a population basis and, because of their price advantages over the lab-based PCR test, have now assumed a place in the artillery that can be deployed in the fight against COVID-19,” writes Dr Alessi.
“This paper explores this vital area of research and is well worth reading by policymakers and decision-makers of both private and public institutions. By working together and learning from each other, we can continue to advance in our fight against COVID-19 and look forward to better times.”
Smarter testing
iXensor’s vision is based on a proposition that uses its solution to disrupt the conventional COVID-19 test reporting workflow with a seamless and tamper-proof process - delivering a result to the testee’s mobile from the analyzer as soon as the specimen has been analysed.
It effectively turns the smartphone into a medical-grade testing device with the ability to generate objective and accurate results in as little as five minutes (for a strong positive test) or fifteen minutes (for a negative test).
It can be scaled to suit large and small environments, from the workplace to educational institutions and gatherings for cultural events. This is likely to be an important factor in sustaining business, education and culture continuity, bridging the gap when lab testing can’t deliver the capacity and especially frequency demanded by a regular and frequent testing strategy before one receives a vaccination.
