Diagnostic Precision of Immunoglobulin (IgM/IgG) and Rapid Antigen Tests in the Detection of COVID-19 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State

Abstract

An urgent diagnostic challenge is presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in resource-limiting settings. Numerous rapid antigen and antibody (IgM/IgG) tests are frequently used to diagnose COVID-19, but it is still unclear how accurate these tests are. With Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) serving as the gold standard approach for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. This comparative study was conducted to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the COVID-VIRO® Rapid antigen and COVID-PRESTO® rapid antibody (IgG/IgM) test kits. Nasopharyngeal swabs and capillary blood samples were obtained from 200 subjects suspected of being exposed to COVID-19. RT-PCR was used to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the nasopharyngeal swab specimens using the Magnetic Induction Cycler platform (MIC), the nasopharyngeal swabs were also assayed for the viral proteins using COVID-VIRO® rapid antigen test kits. IgM/IgG antibodies were detected in capillary blood samples using COVID-PRESTO® Rapid antibody test kits. The MIC qPCR cycler nCov assay's sensitivity and specificity were compared to those of the rapid test kits. Out of 200 samples, RT-PCR detected 90 as positive and 110 as negative. The sensitivity and specificity of the rapid antigen test were 95.5% and 100%, respectively. IgM rapid antibody test sensitivity and specificity were 38.9% and 90%, respectively, while IgG antibody test sensitivity and specificity were 40.7% and 82.6%, respectively. The findings from the investigation indicate that the rapid antigen test kit is more suitable than the rapid antibody (IgG/IgM) test kits since it performed better and had a stronger association with the gold standard RT-PCR. It is also more sensitive, specific, and accurate. Key words: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2), Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA), Immunoglobulin (Ig), and Cycle Threshold (Ct)