Professor Mark Ferguson:

I will explain the difference between the two tests in some detail at the end but, in simple terms, one can increase the accuracy of a rapid antigen test in the following ways. The first is training.

There are many videos on YouTube but, in my opinion, the best ones come from the National Health Service, NHS, in the UK. They teach people how to take the sample because that is where there is quite a lot of inaccuracy. It is about training people on how to take the sample, by self-training and so on. As regards the accuracy of the test itself, as I said, the Joint Research Centre in the EU has a list of very good tests. The accuracy with which the result is read is a simple matter. For some tests it is necessary to wait 30 minutes. If one tries to read them after five minutes one might not get the right result. Again, that is about training. That is the first thing.

In terms of deploying tests, serial testing really improves accuracy. In the workplace, we recommend testing every two to three days. It is better to test every day, which is why we recommend that a test is done every day for people coming in on an aeroplane. That is an antigen test.