key: cord-0760133-fmfl13uy
authors: Barnes, O. R.
title: To Curb the Impact of COVID-19 on the Provision of Cancer Care, What Role will Rapid Antigen Testing Play?
date: 2020-11-09
journal: Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol)
DOI: 10.1016/j.clon.2020.11.001
sha: 29c354209becb1f67221cce346ad35ecaabc3bd9
doc_id: 760133
cord_uid: fmfl13uy

nan

To curb the impact of COVID-19 on the provision of cancer care, what role will rapid antigen testing play? This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. There are no conflicts of interest.

To Curb the Impact of COVID-19 on the Provision of Cancer Care, What Role will Rapid Antigen Testing Play?

Madam -It was informative to read the recent article by Maple and Sikora [1] explaining why antibody testing is ineffective in maintaining the safe delivery of care. Ultimately, there has been much interest in antibody tests because we presume that antibodies might protect from COVID-19. Unfortunately, delayed or absent seroconversion, uncertainty about the significance of serological status and variable test performance and regulation mean that antibody testing is unlikely to be of any real use in ensuring continued, safe delivery of medical care.

Another way to protect vulnerable people from COVID-19, rather than prognosticating based on serology, is to ensure that all those who are allowed to come into contact with them are tested: I wonder if the authors have considered the potential utility of rapid antigen testing in allowing oncology provision to continue. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the gold-standard test for diagnosing COVID-19, can take days, which is of little to no use in directing real-life decision-making. By contrast, rapid antigen tests take a few minutes. Naturally, this rapidity comes at the key cost of sensitivity, and false negatives could have fatal implications.

Although rapid antigen tests will probably be subject to variable performance just as antibody tests are, and are less sensitive than PCR, their use in frequent screening of clinical staff may be one way to minimise the risk to oncology patients. Going forward, we must realise that any solution to COVID-19 will be complex, incorporating many layers of testing, hygiene and distancing. Rapid antigen testing of staff and patients should allow the detection of at least some cases and has been modelled for university campuses [2] , but should not be solely relied upon given the sensitivity issues.

How useful is COVID-19 antibody testing -a current assessment for oncologists

Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 screening strategies to permit the safe reopening of college campuses in the United States

The author declares no conflicts of interest

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

University of Oxford, Green Templeton College, Oxford, UK

J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f

☒ The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.☐The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f