CAP TODAY Pathology/Laboratory Medicine/Laboratory Management
March 2021—PerkinElmer launched its PerkinElmer COVID-19 Antigen Test for the qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein antigen in nasal or nasopharyngeal swab specimens. The lateral flow immunoassay test can be used to screen or to aid in diagnoses of COVID-19 in asymptomatic or symptomatic individuals. A positive or negative result can be obtained in 15 minutes.
The IVD test is available in more than 30 countries that accept the CE mark and is ideally suited, the company says, for professional use POC clinical and nonclinical settings such as health care centers, travel hubs, businesses, and educational institutions. Clinical studies in symptomatic and asymptomatic populations, including individuals with low viral load, have shown sensitivity of greater than 97 percent in NS and NP samples; specificity of the test across 202 negative samples was 100 percent.