UMass Chan study validates at-home COVID tests for Omicron

Photo | Grant Welker UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester

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By Sam Bonacci

A new study from Umass Chan Medical School in Worcester has found at-home, COVID-19 antigen tests performed similarly when detecting the Omicron and Delta coronavirus variants.

The study, which was supported by the National Institutes of Health Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative, contradicts early reports of decreased sensitivity with these types of tests in response to the Omicron variant, according to a release from UMass Chan. In contrast, the study indicated the at-home antigen tests performed slightly better in detecting omicron compared to delta variants.

One reason for the discrepancy is early reports were comparing PCR tests with at-home saliva tests. This study compares the much more common at-home nasal tests, according to Apurv Soni, assistant professor of medicine and principal investigator on the study.

“As we prepare for the next surge, I think some of this data shows that at-home antigen tests should be a critical tool used in the response,” said Soni in the release.

The test had 5,726 participants. Researchers found 82% percent of Delta-infected individuals and 92% of Omicron-infected individuals tested positive with an at-home antigen test within 48 hours of their first positive PCR test.

The study has not yet been peer-reviewed.