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. 2022 Jan 18;27(5):274–287. doi: 10.1136/bmjebm-2021-111828

Table 1.

Characteristics of included studies. All studies aimed to identify individuals currently infected with SARS-CoV-2. The reference standard was RT-PCR performed in the laboratory setting (created by the authors)

Study identifier Publication status
(year)
Study design Setting Purpose of testing Location (recruitment period) Name of index test Total number of study participants Paediatric study participants Funding/potential COI
(n) Male
(%)
Symptomatic
(%)
Age
(years)
Akingba*et al 35 Preprint (2021) Cross-sectional Community testing site (mobile clinic) D South Africa (Nov 20) Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test 667 41 39.0 100† Median: 13,‡ IQR: 10–16,‡ range: 3–17‡ None/none
Bianco*et al 37 Published (2021) Cross-sectional Hospital ED, hospital unit nr Italy
(Oct–Dec 20)
LumiraDx SARS-CoV-2 Ag Test 907§ 165 nr 9.7 Mean: 7.2, range: 0–18 None/none
Dřevinek* et al 38 Preprint (2020) Cross-sectional Hospital TC D, A, S Czech Republic
(Oct 20)
1: Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test
2: Standard F COVID-19 FIA Ag
591 31 38.7‡ 32.3‡ Median: 15,‡
IQR: 13.5–16,‡ range: 11–17‡
Public/none
González-Donapetry et al 24 published (2021) Cross-sectional Hospital ED D Spain
(Sept–Oct 20)
Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test 440 440 59.1 100† Median: 3, IQR: 1–7, range:0–15 None/none
Homza* et al 41 Published (2021) Cross-sectional Hospital TC D, A Czech Republic
(nr)
ECOTEST COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test 494 24 58.3 45.8 Mean: 13.17, SD: 2.79, range: 7–17 Public/none
Kiyasu* †† et al 54 Preprint (2021) Cohort Hospital TC nr Japan
(Oct 20–Jan 21)
QuickNavi COVID-19 Ag 1881 90 68.9 4.4 Median: 12,‡ IRQ: 6–15,‡ range: 0–17‡ Private/yes
L’Huillier et al 25 Preprint (2021) Cross-sectional Hospital TC D, A, S Switzerland (Nov 20–Mar 21) Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test 885 885 50.1 64.8 Median: 11.8, IQR: 9.0–14.3, range: 0–16 Public/none
Möckel et al 26 Published (2021) Cross-sectional Hospital ED D Germany
(Oct–Nov 20)
Roche SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test 483 196‡‡ 55 87.1 Median: 3, IQR: 1–9 Public/none
Pilarowski et al 27 Published (2020) Cross-sectional Community testing site S USA
(Nov–Dec 20)
BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card 3320 209 nr nr
30.9¶
≤18
(47%<13)
Public, private/yes
Pollock et al 28a Published (2021) Cross-sectional Community testing site S USA
(Oct–Dec 20)
BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card 2482 928 47.0‡ 10.7 ≤18
(69%‡ ≤ 13)
Public/none
Pollock et al 29b Preprint (2021) Cross-sectional Community testing site S USA
(Jan 21)
CareStart COVID-19 Antigen test 1603 253 46.2‡ 12.6 ≤18
(62%‡ ≤ 13)
Public/none
Prince-Guerra et al 30 Published (2021) Cross-sectional Community testing site S USA
(Nov 20)
BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card 3419 236 nr nr
24.2¶
Range: 10–17 nr/none
Shah* et al 48 61 Published (2021) Cohort Community testing site S USA
(Nov–Dec 20)
BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card 2024 217 nr 53.4‡ Range: 5–17 Public/none
Sood et al 31 Published (2021) Cross-sectional Community testing site S, A USA
(Nov–Dec 20)
BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card 1429 783 49.5 23.5 Range: 5–17, 65%: 5–12, 35%: 13–17 Public, private/yes
Takeuchi*†† et al 50 Published (2021) Cohort Hospital TC D, A Japan
(Oct–Dec 20)
QuickNavi COVID-19 Ag 1208 164 61.6 54.9 Median: 10,‡ IQR: 5-14, ‡ range: 0-17‡ Private/yes
Torres* et al 51 Published (2021) Cross-sectional Hospital TC A Spain
(Oct–Nov 20)
Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test 634 73 47.9 0** Median: 13, range: 9–17 None/none
Villaverde et al 32 Published (2021) Cohort Hospital ED D Spain
(Sept–Oct 20)
Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test 1620 1620 nr 100† Range: 0–16 Public/none

A: testing of asymptomatic individuals and at increased risk of infection due to previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2; D: diagnostic testing of symptomatic individuals; S: screening of individuals irrespective of symptoms (e.g. mass testing, pretravel testing).

*Study included due to unpublished paediatric study data obtained from author via author queries.

†Not explicitly stated, but as per inclusion criteria only study participants who are symptomatic.

‡Own calculation.

§Analysis population (total number of study participants not reported).

¶Value reported for whole study population.

**Not explicitly stated, but as per inclusion criteria only study participants who are asymptomatic.

††The study reported by Kiyasu et al 54 is specified as ‘extension study’ of a previous study reported by Takeuchi et al.50 Both studies were included in this systematic review and considered as two separate studies due to different but overlapping recruitment periods, substantial differences in the proportion of paediatric study participants who were symptomatic and differences in how discordant RT-PCR test results were re-evaluated.

‡‡The overall paediatric study population as defined by the authors consisted of n=202 individuals and included n=6 adult chaperones.

COI, conflicts of interest; Hospital ED, hospital emergency department; Hospital TC, hospital test centre; nr, not reported; RT-PCR, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.