The makers of rapid antigen tests have hit back at claims of inaccurate COVID-19 results, blaming a lack of education about how and when to use the tests.
Pathology Technology Australia, the peak body for test manufacturers and suppliers, defended the performance of rapid tests against new variants of Omicron, accusing critics of "fearmongering".
"Nothing has changed, we're yet to see any evidence that clearly indicates performance has been impacted by the sub-variants," chief executive Dean Whiting said in a statement.
"There is an education gap in Australia that was never filled after RATs became available."
He said the public deserved to be informed by experts how they should be used.
"We haven't seen that yet," he said.
The Australian Medical Association told ABC Radio Sydney earlier this month that people who had COVID-19 symptoms but tested negative on a rapid test should get a PCR test.
Association vice president Chris Moy said while positive results were reliable, there were increasing reports of false negatives.
"A positive is a positive," Dr Moy said at the time.
"The issue is you can't rely on a negative if you continue to have symptoms."
He said the problem had become more prevalent throughout the year.
"You're hearing about people who do four RATs or five RATs and finally it goes positive," he said.
Getting a diagnosis as early as possible is particularly important for people aged 70 and over, or who are immunocompromised, so they can access antiviral treatments.
Unhelpful comparisons
The wide circulation of Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 has driven a surge in COVID-19 in Australia with at least 38,000 new cases reported on Friday.
And the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 has also increased dramatically, but far fewer were ending up in intensive care compared to previous COVID-19 waves.
Pathology Technology Australia said rapid tests were highly accurate at picking up when someone was infectious while PCR tests could detect the virus even if someone did not have symptoms.
Mr Whiting said it was unhelpful to compare the two.
"They are very different public health tools," he said.
"It's like comparing a marathon runner with a sprinter."
Rapid tests have become the preferred method of testing in Australia since they became widely available in late January.
They eased pressure on PCR sites that had been overwhelmed by huge queues during the Omicron wave.
Victoria scaled back its mass PCR testing at the start of July to limit use to "clinically vulnerable individuals and other at-risk groups".
There are more than 400 PCR testing clinics available in NSW, but a spokesperson for NSW Health said people only needed a PCR test if they had tested negative on a rapid test, had flu-like symptoms and were at higher risk of severe disease.
Mr Whiting said it was often a choice between a rapid test or no test for many people.
"We shouldn't be discouraging people from getting tested," he said.
"Over two years into the pandemic, did we not learn from the fearmongering related to the AstraZeneca vaccine how disastrous this activity can be to vital public health tools?"
Cancelled tests not inaccurate
Pathology Technology Australia's statement came after four tests were pulled from sale in Australia.
But the Therapeutic Goods Administration said on Thursday their removal from its register was not due to inaccuracy detecting Omicron variants.
Three tests were removed by the supplier for business reasons, while one was cancelled by the administration for failing to provide sufficient data.
The administration said the use of rapid tests to monitor the spread of COVID-19 was a vital measure in managing the pandemic.
"Although RATs are not as sensitive as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests it is faster to perform these tests and receive a result," a statement from the administration reads.
"RATs are most accurate when used to test symptomatic patients."
The administration assesses detailed data before approving tests and requires manufacturers to provide up-to-date evidence showing they can detect variants of concern, such as Omicron.
