Rapid antigen tests not going to replace NAT
WHEN questioned about the recent changes to the Macau Health Code and the possibility of people doing rapid antigen self-tests and reporting their results to the system, Dr. Leong Iek Hou said that antigen tests are only complementary to nucleic acid tests (NAT) and that the authorities will not allow the replacing of NAT with just a rapid antigen test. “Antigen tests are only complementary [to NAT]. We are not going to replace the NAT with them,” she said, explaining, “They are less sensitive and accurate and can provide a lot of false results. These [antigen tests] are most useful during an outbreak where we need to minimize movement and still ensure some feedback from people [in home isolation], but not in a situation where there is no severe outbreak, no lack of NAT resources, and no severe risks in doing them.”