Clinical medicine (London, England)
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Review Meta Analysis
Influence of seasonal and operator variations on diagnostic accuracy of lateral flow devices during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Lateral flow tests (LFT) are point-of-care rapid antigen tests that allow isolation and control of disease outbreaks through convenient, practical testing. However, studies have shown significant variation in their diagnostic accuracy. We conducted a systematic review of the diagnostic accuracy of LFTs for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to identify potential factors affecting their performance. ⋯ LFTs display good sensitivity and extremely good specificity for SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection; they become more sensitive in patients with symptoms and when performed by trained professionals.