Authorities: "No Shortage of Rapid Antigen Test Kits... Please Follow Quarantine Rules Even If Negative"

Rapid Antigen Self-Tests in 4 Regions
23.9% Are 'False Positives'... 'False Negatives' Cannot Be Confirmed

"Not a Completely Accurate Test"

On the morning of the 3rd, medical staff are organizing self-test kits at the screening clinic of Songpa-gu Public Health Center in Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Starting from the 3rd, a new testing and treatment system to respond to the Omicron COVID-19 variant has been introduced nationwide. Amid a surge in demand, concerns are growing over shortages of rapid antigen test kits and the issue of 'false negatives.' Authorities have urged the public to strictly adhere to quarantine guidelines even if the rapid antigen test result is negative, while managing supply and demand stably through sufficient monitoring.

Im Suk-young, Head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) Situation Management Team, stated at the regular COVID-19 briefing in the afternoon that "Currently, there is no indication of a shortage in diagnostic kit supplies," adding, "We are closely monitoring the situation and ensuring sufficient supply."

Im also explained, "We are supplying kits in two phases to screening clinics and temporary screening centers across cities, counties, and districts nationwide." The first shipment of 2.2 million kits was delivered on the 28th of last month, and an additional 4.66 million kits are scheduled to be delivered by tomorrow. "We do not anticipate a shortage of kits at the field level," he added.

On the 3rd, in front of Seoul City Hall, citizens are receiving rapid antigen tests at a temporary screening clinic following the change in COVID-19 testing methods. The general public will primarily undergo rapid antigen tests using self-test kits instead of the traditional PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests. Alternatively, professional rapid antigen tests can be conducted at local clinics such as respiratory specialty clinics. Although the accuracy is lower than PCR, this measure aims to meet the increasing demand for testing due to the spread of Omicron. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

Meanwhile, among those who tested positive on rapid antigen tests, only 76.1% were confirmed positive upon retesting with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH), from the 26th of last month when the Omicron response testing system was introduced, 41 screening clinics in four regions?Gwangju, Jeonnam, Pyeongtaek, and Anseong in Gyeonggi Province?conducted 84,000 rapid antigen tests by the 31st. Of these, 687 cases (0.8%) tested positive. However, upon retesting with PCR, only 523 cases (76.1%) were confirmed positive, while 164 cases (23.9%) were negative. This means that about one in four positive rapid antigen test results were 'false positives,' indicating no actual COVID-19 infection.

Unlike false positives, which can be rechecked through PCR testing, there is currently no reliable method to filter out false negatives. Moreover, rapid antigen tests conducted via self-diagnosis kits at screening clinics are used as a means to issue negative confirmation certificates required for access to facilities under the vaccination certification and negative confirmation system (quarantine pass), raising concerns that false negatives could undermine the effectiveness of the quarantine pass.

Regarding this, a CDCH official explained, "False negative statistics are not separately calculated," adding, "Since no additional tests are conducted for those who test negative on rapid antigen tests, false negatives cannot be identified."

The authorities emphasized that the current testing system is a last-resort measure to compensate for the limited capacity of PCR testing, fully acknowledging that rapid antigen tests do not have high accuracy. Im stated, "We have continuously mentioned from the beginning that the tests are not completely accurate," acknowledging the issues of both false positives and false negatives.

Son Young-rae, Social Strategy Team Leader at the Central Accident Response Headquarters, explained, "When the result is negative, the test shows a fairly high level of accuracy," adding, "The probability of a positive case testing negative is relatively low." Nevertheless, considering the risk of false negatives, health authorities urged people to comply with quarantine rules such as wearing masks even if the rapid antigen test is negative, and to visit medical institutions like respiratory clinics for diagnosis if symptoms appear.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.