【COVID-19 & Flu Strikes Again! 】Which 3-in-1 COVID-19/Flu Rapid Test is More Accurate?
2024-01-12
衞生署衞生防護中心於1月11日宣布，香港已踏入冬季流感季節，預期未來數周流感的活躍程度會進一步攀升，而新冠病毒活躍程度亦持續上升。大家都知道流感的嚴重性亦曾經出現流感死亡的個案，加上新冠病毒的威脅，所以能分辦病徵類似的流感及新冠病毒非常重要。
Doctors are reminding the public to use rapid tests if they have symptoms, so they can access the right medication sooner
Flu and COVID-19 symptoms can be very similar. That’s why doctors are advising patients to take a 3-in-1 rapid test if they exhibit such symptoms. Available both at most clinics and pharmacies, these 3-in-1 rapid self-tests can help patients identify their infection status, which they can relay to their doctor to access better care for their condition.
But how can I choose the right 3-in-1 rapid test?
There are many different 3-in-1 rapid test options for COVID-19 & flu on the market, and it can be confusing. Here are a few tips when choosing your rapid test:
- Reliability: Choose a reliable and reputable brand to ensure you’re getting the good product quality and test accuracy
- If it’s testing the targeted type of viruses: Check if the test detects common respiratory viruses such as Influenza A (H1N1 & H3N2), Influenza B (Victoria and Yamagata), and COVID-19 (Omicron)
- 準確性：選擇具高準確性(靈敏度及特異度)的快速測試。
- Applicability to asymptomatic or mild symptoms patients: See if the rapid test has a low ‘Limit of Detection (LoD)’. A low LoD means that the test can be used by patients who are asymptomatic or exhibit mild symptoms. Whether the test can provide comparative study data report is also an important factor to consider.
The Limit of Detection or LoD of a rapid test essentially refers to the smallest amount of virus the test can detect from a sample.
檢測限 (LoD)數值較低，表示可以在病毒量較低時便可檢測出病毒。具有較低的檢測限 (LoD)代表能夠在感染初期(病毒量可能較低)就能夠識別陽性樣本，從而及早採取治療，減少併發症及傳播給他人的風險。
檢測限 (LoD)數值較高，表示在病毒量較高時才可檢測出病毒。具有較高的檢測限 (LoD)代表需要較多的病毒量才能夠識別陽性樣本，有機會未能及早採取治療，錯過治療的最佳時間。
According to the comparative study data report, 顯示, INDICAID™妥析™新冠病毒/甲型及⼄型流感快速抗原測試的檢測限低於為市場上其他品牌的4倍*，所以較其他品牌在感染較初期就能測出陽性結果，能夠更早開始適當的治療。
| Table header 0 | 新冠病毒 | 甲型流感 |
|---|---|---|
| 病徵 | 發燒、全身乏力、咳嗽、喉嚨痛、頭痛、流鼻水、呼吸急促、肌肉痛、失去味覺/嗅覺、眼睛紅腫、皮疹 | 發燒、全身乏力、咳嗽、喉嚨痛、頭痛、流鼻水或鼻塞、呼吸急促、肌肉痛、肚瀉、嘔吐 |
| 治療方法 | 長者或長期病患需服用處方的新冠口服藥 | 出現嚴重病徵人士應於發病48小時內服用醫生處方的抗病毒藥物 |
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