Antigen tests

We are the UK and EU distributors of lateral flow Antigen tests which can accurately and rapidly detect COVID-19 in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.

About the antigen tests

Our newest test is a game-changing rapid 15-minute saliva antigen test, not requiring a machine or a lab.

This MHRA approved Antigen test has 100% specificity, 98.98% overall accuracy and has been chosen by governments and health authorities worldwide, including the British Government and the State of California, who have purchased many millions of test kits from us, for use as a key public health tool in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can now order the SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Qualitative Test via our online shop. 

How to use antigen tests

These rapid lateral flow tests generate accurate results, usually within 15 minutes, through nose or throat swabs. No machine or lab is required to process the tests but the tests must be administered by a professional healthcare operative or trained individual.

Please read and comply with the instructions for use (IFU).

For more information on how to administer these antigen tests, please review our training video on how to conduct the test.

The difference between antigen and PCR tests explained

Evidence

Naturally, there is a lot of information (and misinformation) circling the public domain relating to the efficacy and specificity of the Innova Antigen tests. Below you will find three major recent findings from the BMJ, Porton Down/Oxford University, and Lancet reports. You can find more articles here.

BMJ Report:

This report addresses how Lateral Flow Devices compare with the use of PCR testing - this chart analyses the speed at which a LFD can return a result compared to a PCR test - which can deliver a positive result (and require people to self-isolate) up to 83 days post-infection and long after infectiousness. The distinction here is that LFDs can quickly and accurately identify those who are infectious and likely to spread the disease (both from symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals), whilst PCR tests can take days to return a result.  Further information can be found here.

Porton Down and Oxford University:

Key findings: “The specificity of the test was recorded as 99.68% - the overall false positive rate was 0.32%, although this was lowered to 0.06% in a lab setting.It has an overall sensitivity of 76.8% for all PCR positive individuals but detects over 95% of individuals with high viral loads, and minimal difference between the ability of the test to pick up viral antigens in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals”

Further information can be found here.

Lancet:

Key findings: "In the Liverpool pilot, Innova LFT picked up 19 of 24 (79%) samples with Ct below 20 and 10 of 11 (91%) samples with Ct below 18. The 66% sensitivity in the Liverpool interim report was based cautiously on Ct below or equal to 25 indicating viable virus"