Rapid tests are not 100% reliable and there are dozens of different providers. With a simple trick you can find out whether the rapid test from the supermarket shelf is any good.
Comprehensive tests are an important tool in the fight against the corona virus. Unfortunately they have commercially available self-tests not always a good detection rate, which gives a false sense of security and can have literally fatal consequences.
Out of frustration, the “Zerforschung” collective has developed the unofficial online tool Schnelltest-Test. This allows you to quickly check the detection rate of a quick test before you buy it. After all, these aren’t exactly cheap. Here we show you how the application works.
Quick test test: what is the detection rate?
To check a Sars-CoV-2 antigen rapid test, simply go to the Rapid Test Test web app. This works just as well with a smartphone in the shop as it does at home with a laptop. Allow the tool to use your camera.
Now simply scan the barcode on the packaging to see the results. The information on the recognition rate is presented in an easy-to-understand manner. Example:
- recognizes infected people higher 100 percent viral load
- over Everyone The test detects viral loads in 56 percent of those infected (overall sensitivity)
The first value is the most important: it should always be 100 percent. The range of overall sensitivity is enormous and only a few quick tests are above 80 percent.
In this way, you know before you buy whether the rapid test is really any good – and you get a little more certainty when you visit people from risk groups, for example. If you need more information on the scientific methodology, tap on the button of the same name.
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Rapid test test: where does the data come from?
The “Zerforschung” collective uses the data from the Paul Ehrlich Institute for the unofficial rapid test. In a study as of January 12, 2021, the detection rate of various antigen rapid tests was examined.
It should therefore be noted that these data were collected before the appearance of the omicron variant. It is therefore possible that the various rapid antigen tests have a lower or higher detection rate for this virus strain. However, this list will be updated soon for this reason.
Patrick Hanneman
editor
Brilliant and simple idea
The quick tests give a little more certainty, but they are not a complete guarantee. The “Zerforschung” tool shows this quite impressively. So it is quite possible that you are corona positive but have a low viral load that is not detected by the rapid test. That’s why it remains important to protect yourself and others by following the AHA rules.