Tony Holohan criticised for 'baffling' position on antigen tests

The resistance to rapid antigen testing for international travel or at sporting events is 'baffling' and hard to fathom, the Oireachtas transport committee has heard. Picture: Brian Lawless

The resistance to rapid antigen testing for international travel or at sporting events is “baffling” and hard to fathom, the Oireachtas transport committee has heard.

The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) and Dr Tony Holohan, the chief medical officer,  have cautioned against relying too heavily on antigen tests  — rapid diagnostic kits that do not need to go to a laboratory — but Dr Holohan’s views have been described as “inaccurate” by a Harvard expert who spoke at the Oireachtas committee.

Michael Mina, assistant epidemiology professor at Harvard University, criticised Dr Holohan's opposition to antigen screening.

The committee heard that Ireland is the EU’s “most disconnected” state following months of travel bans.

In recent months, Dr Holohan and Nphet have hit out at cheap flights and the accuracy of rapid antigen tests. 

Prof Mina said Dr Holohan's position on the accuracy and use of the tests is “just inaccurate”.

He explained that antigen tests identified people at their most infectious, the “population you want to exclude” from flights, big sporting occasions, and other events.

He argued that getting results quickly was more important to halting Covid’s spread than detecting it down to its last traces.

“Antigen tests are sufficient to detect anyone who is likely to spread the virus,” Prof Mina said.

He pointed out that the slower, more expensive PCR tests, favoured by Nphet, detect Covid for up to 30 days, while anyone carrying the virus was at their most infectious for just 10 days.

A test designed to limit Covid’s spread only needs to have sensitivity rates of 30% to 40%, he said. 

“So 50% is actually a good value if that test is only meant to detect infection,” Prof Mina said.

Dr Niamh Power, director of V1 Medical, a provider of rapid Covid tests to airlines and shipping companies, said she does not see any evidence to support the resistance from Nphet.

“I have to say, as a medical doctor and somebody who's been involved in V1 Medical and actually testing for travel, I don't understand why there is such resistance. 

"I don't see any evidence for it. I would like to see the evidence that exists but I don't see it at the moment,” she said.

Dr Power, who is also a pilot, pointed out that the Republic was an "outlier" in not allowing rapid antigen screening for travel.

Ireland is now the most disconnected country in Europe and Dublin is the most disconnected city, according to Eurocontrol.

Committee chairman, Kieran O’Donnell, said the committee had invited Dr Holohan and other members of Nphet to appear to defend their oppositionist stance on rapid testing.

Committee member, Michael Lowry, argued that the chief medical officer and his staff should be quizzed on their opposition to quicker, cheaper, antigen tests for travel.

“They must be given the opportunity in public to explain their rationale and their decision,” he said.

Dr Power said that V1 Medical and other companies providing Covid tests for travel had yet to hear from the Government on what role they will play in implementing the EU digital Covid certificate.