Mass Screening of SARS-CoV-2 With Rapid Antigen Tests in a Receding Omicron Wave: Population-Based Survey for Epidemiologic Evaluation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The COVID-19 Omicron BA.2 epidemic wave in Hong Kong peaked in the first quarter of 2022. Following the implementation of stringent public health measures, the daily number of reported cases fell from over 50,000 to below 2000. Although outbreaks steadily receded, the government rolled out a 3-day "voluntary universal rapid testing" campaign to invite all citizens to self-perform a rapid antigen test (RAT) daily to identify undetected prevalent infections.

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the uptake and results of RAT mass screening to estimate the population's residual epidemic burden and assess the risk of further transmission.

Methods

A cross-sectional study comprising an open web-based population-based survey was conducted a week after the RAT cam

SUBMITTER: Kwan TH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9651000 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature