[Q&A] If Rapid Antigen Test at Clinics or Hospitals Is Positive... "Isolation Immediately Without PCR"

"Immediate Return Home Even Before Health Center Notification"
Self-Test Kit Positives Not Recognized
Oral Antiviral Medication Prescribed Immediately for High-Risk 60s

On the 4th, at the temporary screening clinic at Seoul Station, citizens are receiving rapid antigen tests as the number of new COVID-19 cases surged by about 70,000 in one day to 266,853. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Starting from the 14th, if a professional rapid antigen test conducted at local clinics or hospitals returns positive, the individual will be recognized as a confirmed case without the need for an additional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.

In this case, isolation will begin immediately before an official isolation notice is issued by the public health center, and high-risk groups aged 60 and above will also be eligible to receive the oral COVID-19 treatment drug 'Paxlovid.'

On the 11th, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters summarized the implementation plan for professional rapid antigen tests in a Q&A format.

Q. From when will rapid antigen tests conducted at local clinics or hospitals be recognized?

A. This will be implemented for one month starting from the 14th. It is expected that the epidemic will peak and then decline within this month, so during this period when confirmed cases are concentrated, PCR testing capacity will be focused on vulnerable facilities and priority testers such as household members of confirmed cases.

Q. Are positive results from self-test kits done at public health centers or at home also recognized as confirmed cases?

A. Only professional rapid antigen tests conducted at clinics or hospitals are recognized. Personal tests collect samples from the relatively shallow nasal cavity, resulting in lower accuracy, whereas professional tests collect nasopharyngeal swab samples from deep inside the nasal cavity, achieving a positive predictive rate of over 95%. A positive result is only recognized if the individual receives a professional rapid antigen test again at a general clinic or hospital, or a final confirmation through a PCR test at a public health center.

Q. Are children also considered confirmed cases if they test positive on a professional rapid antigen test?

A. Children and adults are treated the same and recognized as confirmed cases. Previously, children who tested positive on PCR were confirmed cases, and in emergency cases, children testing positive on professional rapid antigen tests were also treated in isolation rooms.

Q. Is the accuracy lower compared to PCR tests?

A. As confirmed cases increase, the positive predictive value of professional rapid antigen tests?meaning the proportion of positive rapid antigen tests that are confirmed positive by PCR?has increased. A survey of 76 respiratory clinics showed that 94.7% of positive professional rapid antigen test results were also positive on PCR tests.

Q. Are positive cases from professional rapid antigen tests included in the daily confirmed case counts?

A. From the 14th, positive results from professional rapid antigen tests conducted at medical institutions will be included in the confirmed case counts just like PCR positive cases. However, if a PCR retest is requested and conducted after a positive rapid antigen test, only cases confirmed positive by PCR will be reported as confirmed cases.

Q. If a professional rapid antigen test is positive, can a PCR test still be taken?

A. Additional PCR testing can be conducted at the physician’s discretion. If the rapid antigen test result is somewhat ambiguous or if symptoms differ from typical COVID-19 infection symptoms, free PCR testing at screening clinics is still available as before. The rapid antigen tests performed by the testee themselves at screening clinics will also be maintained for the time being.

Q. If a rapid antigen test at a hospital is positive, does isolation begin immediately?

A. Although the official isolation notice from the public health center has not yet been delivered, the individual should immediately return home and begin self-isolation. When the medical institution reports the confirmed case to the public health center, an isolation notice will be sent to the confirmed case. During this time, the individual should not use public transportation or visit other multi-use facilities and should go straight home, except when visiting a pharmacy to receive a prescription.

Q. Can high-risk groups aged 60 and above or those in their 40s and 50s with underlying conditions immediately receive oral treatment prescriptions?

A. Priority for prescriptions is given to those aged 60 and above, who will be allowed to receive Paxlovid early. Expansion to those in their 40s and 50s is under consideration depending on the situation. Accordingly, high-risk individuals aged 60 and above can receive prescriptions directly at the hospital where the test was conducted, but others must undergo PCR testing again.

Q. If a non-confirmed individual receives a false positive on a professional rapid antigen test and is given treatment, are there any side effects?

A. There is a possibility that non-confirmed individuals may receive treatment. However, Paxlovid is known to have few side effects and is considered a safe medication. The frequency of side effects reported abroad is not significantly higher than placebo and is sometimes even lower. Most adverse reaction cases reported domestically have been mild, with no severe side effects reported.

Q. If a family member is confirmed positive by rapid antigen test, is the principle that other household members must receive PCR testing within 3 days still maintained?

A. Even if household members test negative on professional rapid antigen tests before PCR testing, the recent increase in prevalence makes it difficult to fully trust negative results. If clear symptoms appear and medical staff determine retesting is necessary, PCR testing is recommended. In the future, options to confirm infection or release from isolation for household members using rapid antigen tests instead of PCR tests will also be considered.

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