Thomas Gould
Ceist:870. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the difference between a PCR test and a regular Covid-19 test. [16356/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 31 March 2021
Ceisteanna (870)
Freagraí scríofa
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has adopted and uses reverse transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) as the gold standard test for diagnosing Covid-19 cases, as part of the HSE test and trace strategy, consistent with international best practice, and approved by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) recommend that nucleic acid amplification tests, such as RT-PCR, should be used to detect suspected, active SARS-CoV-2 infection. The advice of the WHO and the ECDC is available on their websites. For example, in its Technical Report “Options for the use of rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 in the EU/EEA and the UK”, published on 19 November 2020, the ECDC confirmed that “To date, testing for SARS-CoV-2 infection mostly relies on reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) performed on a nasopharyngeal specimen. This testing method remains the gold standard for detecting SARS-CoV-2 and is characterised by both high sensitivity and specificity in detecting viral ribonucleic acid (RNA).”
In addition, the HSE has made available antigen detection tests (ADTs) for specific indications in the acute hospital setting and as part of the response to outbreaks in the community setting in symptomatic vulnerable populations and their close contacts, supported by appropriate clinical governance and operational arrangements. Considerable work has been undertaken to date to evaluate the use of ADTS in an Irish context and this will continue on an ongoing basis due to the role they can have to supplement the use of PCR as part of the national testing strategy. In particular, further setting-specific ADT validation work continues to be undertaken by the HSE. Antigen testing will not, however, replace the requirement for large scale PCR testing which remains the gold standard for community testing.
The HSE continues to monitor the evidence for all testing types in conjunction with other public bodies, such as the Health and Information Quality Authority (HIQA), and having regard to best international evidence and advice. On an ongoing basis, the National Public Health Emergency Team considers and reviews, based on public health risk assessments, how best to target testing to detect, and mitigate the impact of, the virus across the population. This includes keeping Ireland’s national testing policy under continuing review.