A representative for small businesses has accused public health officials of being “glib, flippant and scientifically ignorant” over their criticisms of rapid antigen tests to detect Covid-19. “These antigen tests will not keep you safe,” another Nphet official, Prof Philip Nolan, said on Sunday. In his letter, Mr McDonnell pointed out that the report of the Covid-19 rapid testing group last month concluded that rapid antigen testing should be considered in a wide range of settings. Testing rolloutIsme requested that the Tánaiste prioritise the rollout of rapid antigen testing in the workplace last December, he pointed out: “How many of these lives could have been saved by a robust system of workplace antigen testing is unknown, but is likely to be non-trivial”. Currently, many employers are adopting workplace antigen testing systems in order to protect their staff and customers, he said.

Source: The Irish Times May 10, 2021 16:16 UTC