In bipartisan compact, constellation of states bet on antigen tests for asymptomatic COVID-19 screening

Antigen tests are at the center of a plan to screen asymptomatic people for COVID-19 under a compact launched by seven U.S. states and The Rockefeller Foundation to fill holes left by the federal government’s response.

The question is whether the rapid point-of-care technology, which is so far authorized only for use in individuals suspected of having COVID-19, will strike the right balance of speed, accessibility and reliability for use in asymptomatic populations. Early reports have suggested antigen tests, which detect viral proteins within 15 minutes, are less sensitive than molecular tests that detect viral RNA (see “A Test for the Utility of Antigen Testing”)...