Is the colloidal gold method reliable to detect COVID-19?
Deputy Chief Physician He Jie, Department of Respiratory Medicine
China-Japan Friendship Hospital
Top 3A | Specialty No. 2 Go to consultation
Baidu Health Content Review Team Preferred
The colloidal gold method generally refers to the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) antigen detection kit. COVID-19 generally refers to novel coronavirus infection. Although the test results of the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) antigen detection kit are not used as the gold standard for diagnosing new coronavirus infection, they are usually more reliable when used correctly by the tester.
The new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) antigen detection kit uses the principle of colloidal gold immunochromatography indirect method to achieve the purpose of detecting new coronavirus IgM antibodies in human serum. Testers usually use it according to the instructions, and the test results can be obtained in about 15 minutes, which can be directly visually interpreted. And the accuracy of general detection results can reach more than 96%, so it is relatively reliable.
Due to certain errors, if the test result shows positive, it is recommended to go to the hospital to complete the nucleic acid test to clarify the condition.