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COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test Kit; the timer is provided by the user. Mucus from nose or throat in a test liquid is placed onto a COVID-19 rapid antigen diagnostic test device. COVID-19 rapid testing in Rwanda. An antigen is the part of a pathogen that elicits an immune response. Antigen tests look for antigen proteins from the viral surface.
COVID-19 rapid antigen tests (RATs) have been widely used for diagnosis of COVID-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 Case Definition states that a person with a positive RAT (also known as an antigen rapid diagnostic test or Antigen-RDT) can be considered a "confirmed case of SARS-CoV-2 infection" in two ways. [10]
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic . The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever, [ 7 ] fatigue, cough, breathing difficulties , loss of smell , and loss of taste .
The development of COVID-19 tests was a major public health priority during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2020, scientists from China published the first genetic sequences of SARS-CoV-2 via virological.org , [ 3 ] a "hub for prepublication data designed to assist with public health activities and research". [ 4 ]
Sequencing is the only diagnostic method that will provide the full sequence of a virus genome. Hence, it provides the most information about very small differences between two viruses that would look the same using other diagnostic tests. Currently it is only used when this depth of information is required.
COVID-19 surveillance involves monitoring the spread of the coronavirus disease in order to establish the patterns of disease progression. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends active surveillance , with focus of case finding, testing and contact tracing in all transmission scenarios. [ 1 ]
The COVID-19 vaccines are widely credited for their role in reducing the severity and death caused by COVID-19. [ 128 ] [ 129 ] As of March 2023, more than 5.5 billion people had received one or more doses [ 130 ] (11.8 billion in total) in over 197 countries.
In SARS-CoV, the causative agent of SARS, the N protein is 422 amino acid residues long [2] and in SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, it is 419 residues long. [7] [8] Both the N-terminal and C-terminal domains are capable of binding RNA. The C-terminal domain forms a dimer that is likely to be the native functional state. [2]