On Jun. 30, 2021, the National Institutes of Health announced a highly anticipated study that compared rapid antigen and laboratory PCR approaches for COVID-19 serial screening. The study found that both testing methods were equally effective in detecting SARS-CoV-2 infection when tests were given on a regular cadence every three days.

While individual PCR tests were more sensitive than antigen tests, particularly early in infection, the results showed that both testing approaches can give 98% sensitivity when taken regularly as part of a screening program.