Buying antigen tests

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PCR and Antigen do different things.

Antigen tests detect Infectious people by detecting material from the surface proteins of the virus and are extremely accurate when an individual is actually infectious.

PCRs detect genetic material of the virus which can be present in the body for weeks after someone is capable of passing it on.

You can be PCR positive and non infectious thus given a negative Antigen test.

PCRs will have kept many perfectly healthy, non infectious people at home in isolation !

Antigen testing has a place now because most people are vaccinated (and symptom-less) and more people are out interacting.

Previously they didn't want people to do antigen tests because, from a macro point of view - it was irrelevant. You were supposed to go for a PCR test if you had symptoms due to it being more accurate. If you were a responsible adult, then if you had an antigen test you would isolate anyway until the PCR result. If you were irresponsible, you could make a bollox of the test, get a false negative reading and head out spreading it through a largely unvaccinated population. So there was no positive outcome from using antigen. Whereas now, the antigen tests can be used to quickly test large numbers of people who don't even have symptoms.

No, the snake oil comment from Nolan came in response to a Lidl tweet saying come and get your supplies for your barbecue, and if you’re going to be socialising outdoors, pick up an antigen test to test yourself for extra piece of mind. All very responsible. They never once suggested it was to be used for symptomatic people in the place of a PCR test.

Now NPHET are suggesting if you’re going to be socialising, do regular antigen tests so as not to be spreading the virus asymptomatically... exactly what the Lidl tweet suggested and Nolan flipped the lid over it!! There is absolutely no condoning what he said now in light of the new antigen testing advice from NPHET.

I know exactly what it means, thanks. And it was completely irresponsible of Philip Nolan to use it in that context. In fact, his comments were so bizarre, I’d question if he knows what it means.

I’m not the one who brought it up. Philip Nolan should explain though what has changed since he made his comment.

People are allowed to have their opinions evolve over time. Seriously I’m fed up of the sh1t I’m reading on here day in day out. Bunch of cranks.

I was correcting Donald Trump’s incorrect version of events above.

Well his tweet needs to be taken in the context of both the time he said it, and what he was referring to. At the time there were still a lot of restrictions and the tone of the ad for the supermarket was kind of "sure get this test and then you can go and do what you like and congregate as much as you like- oh, and btw we have loads of barbeque stuff for sale wink wink". So that was the context of his comment - that it wasn't a magic solution that you could buy this thing and then go and ignore all other advice and be back to normal

antigen definitely does have a place now - for testing people without symptoms to detect possible asymptomatic carriers.

I went to Aldi this morning, selling them at €3.99 each.

any online recommendations for purchasing other than mybio?

5 for 15 or 20 for 60 is the best price I have seen online at McCauleys.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/price-war-sees-cost-of-home-antigen-test-kits-plummet-1.4742877