Recently, a video circulated on the Internet: Someone cut an orange and squeezed the juice on the antigen test kit. Before long, a purple-red horizontal line appeared in the “T position”. Some netizens dropped cola on the antigen detection kit, and the “T position” also changed color. As a result, some people came to the conclusion that “you can’t eat oranges or drink cola before the antigen test, otherwise it will be positive”. is this real?
coronavirus Antigen detection reagents. Image source: Vision China Qianlong.com
Zhang Shuai, chief physician of the infectious disease prevention and control department of Fuzhou CDC, introduced that antigen detection is based on antibodies. The protein composition of the virus, so as to determine whether the sample to be tested contains the virus.
Antigen detection is more convenient and fast, generally 15-20 minutes to get the results, but the sensitivity is slightly lower, and false detection may occur due to the existence of some interference positive. However, it cannot be said that the cola or orange antigen test is “positive” or “weak positive”, Because the antigen test kit is used for the human samples mentioned in the instructions, such as nasal swabs< /strong> instead of other liquids like cola, orange juice, etc.
Antigen detection kit manufacturer, Tang Rong, head of Mohe Medical Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., said: “It’s not that the color of the T area of the test card changes. It proves that the sample contains a new type of coronavirus. Only when the entire process is carried out in strict accordance with strict conditions, the results will be meaningful.”
Tang Rong said, In fact, the antigen nucleic acid detection kit has undergone a complete test before it goes on the market, including those who suffer from influenza, pneumonia or even coronavirus pneumonia, and there will be no positive test results, only the new coronavirus It will make the T position of the detection card appear purple. And pouring cola and orange juice means that the composition of the antigen dilution is destroyed, and “the results are 100% inaccurate”, so no matter what color the T position appears, it is meaningless.
In fact, drinking cola or eating oranges will not affect the antigen test results in principle. Normal diet will not affect the composition of the nasal swab sample – even if there is a small probability that some cola or orange juice will enter the nasal cavity, but usually the concentration will not be very high, completely different from the cola or orange juice dripped directly into the kit. Therefore, there is no need to worry about drinking cola, eating oranges or eating other foods to affect the antigen test results.
“Antigen detection should be used for high-risk, high-prevalence cluster infection detection. The general population should not do antigen detection at will.” Zhang Shuai explained, Li Jinming, deputy director of the National Health Commission’s Clinical Testing Center, once introduced that in areas with low prevalence of the new coronavirus, the antigen test for the new coronavirus will detect more false positives, causing misleading effects. In the case of relevant epidemiological travel history, do not do the new coronavirus antigen test casually.
Source: Shangguan News, Guangming.com, China Economic Net, Southeast Net.