Professor Luke O'Neill says now's the time for the Irish Government to 'bite the bullet' and introduce widespread COVID-19 antigen testing.
The Trinity College immunologist says the rapid tests will be a 'fantastic weapon' against coronavirus as society reopens, especially if there's 'dithering' around travel restrictions.
Recent months have seen authorities reluctant to recommend the widespread antigen tests amid concerns they're not as accurate as the standard, more sensitive PCR tests.
However, the WHO has said more accurate antigen tests are just weeks away, while officials have acknowledged the tests will have a part to play in widespread testing in the likes of nursing homes.
Professor O'Neill told The Pat Kenny Show the evidence for antigen testing is getting stronger and stronger.
He said the main benefit of antigen testing is it can detect when people with COVID-19 are infectious.
He explained: “You’re infected on day one, and you will start to spread the virus from day three. Day six you develop symptoms, and you’re infectious for about a week.
“The trouble is the PCR test will be positive all through that time - before you spread it, and even after. One study shows eight days after you’ve stopped being infectious you’re still positive… it’s a highly sensitive test.
“The antigen test shows when you’re infectious - it’s much more able to predict then when you’re actually in danger of spreading the virus to someone else. It’s picking up the live virus."
He said the reluctance around antigen tests came from the fact that they aren't as sensitive as PCR testing, as well as issues that people might 'make a hames of the test' if they do it themselves.
However, the leading immunologist said those concerns are now dissipating, especially now that the tests are being used for testing of hauliers across Europe.
He explained: "Certainly if the hauliers are using it as a standard thing… why not everybody?
"Why not in schools, why not in hospitals? Hauliers may lead the way in a sense.”
Professor O'Neill said such rapid and widespread testing will be particularly important when the economy starts reopening again
He said: “The science is getting stronger and stronger… the Government should now really bite the bullet on this.
“If we’re still dithering on the travel issue, which seems to be the case for various reasons… antigen testing is a fantastic weapon to use in the face of not ideal travel restrictions.
He suggested it's "getting outrageous" that rapid tests aren't being widely and regularly used in the likes of nursing home at this stage, especially since the tests can pick up new variants as well.
He added: "Now that the science is so strong, if I was the Irish Government I'd say 'right, let's get universal antigen testing into Ireland'... certainly when we reopen in March.
“There will be errors and issues around false negatives and positives.
"That shouldn’t stop us using it, as it will still be a tremendous way to stop the virus."
Vaccine news
Professor O'Neill also weighed in on the news that the two approved vaccines here appear to be effective against the new South African and UK strains of the virus.
Moderna earlier this week announced their jab is effective against the strains, while Pfizer made a similar announcement this morning.
Professor O'Neill said: “About a week ago, [Pfizer] hinted this - that it would work against the variant. Now they’ve said it officially. We haven’t seen the publication yet, but we can trust them.
“It looks like their vaccine is working against the UK and South African variants. Moderna said two days ago said their one works as well.
“There is a slight decrease in efficacy, it must be said - both have said that. But that decrease wouldn’t worry them, as the vaccines are so efficacious anyway.
"This is a good sign that those vaccines already out there will work against those variants.”
He said every company making vaccines is now mobilising to make sure their products work against new variants.
He explained the drug manufacturers don't need to do the whole development and testing process all over again, as the changes needed are relatively small.
It's likely to take two to four months to get a new vaccine to replace the old one if a jab is found to be ineffective against a new strain.
Professor O'Neill said any such changes would slow the vaccination process somewhat, but it’s good that planning is underway now at an early stage in case such changes are needed.
