Antigen testing could be a faster, cheaper way to diagnose covid-19

Current coronavirus testing is plagued by a lack of resources. An antigen test could be a useful alternative that bypasses supply-chain bottlenecks.

“There will never be the ability on a [PCR] test to do 300 million tests a day or to test everybody before they go to work or to school,” Deborah Birx, head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said on April 17. “But there might be with the antigen test.”

What’s an antigen test? While PCR tests look for evidence of viral genetic material, and antibody testing detects human antibodies against the virus...