Nationwide filling station Circle K has announced this morning that it will be selling antigen tests in stores from today.
A claim of being ‘HSE validated‘ has been removed from the website of a Kilkenny-based antigen test provider. Chief Clinical Officer with the HSE Colm Henry has openly questioned the claimed accuracy on the 15-minute tests.
From today, individual tests will be €8, two for €14, three for €20. In an initial statement the company said “the antigen test has a 97.83% accuracy rate in detecting proteins of the virus“.
Lidl’s decision to stock the tests prompted a backlash from public health officials, including the Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan.
MyBio.ie, which is based in Kilkenny, is supplying Circle K with antigen tests made by MP Biomedicals in Germany.
It says the test is 97% accurate at detecting proteins of Covid-19, a figure which Colm Henry from the HSE disputes.
Another antigen test on their website claimed to be ‘HSE validated’.
The company say the HSE bought some of the tests – which the executive use in emergency departments, and assumed it was validation of the test.
However, the claim has been removed from the website this morning.
According to Circle K, it is not intended as the sole basis to diagnose or exclude a COVID-19 case.
HSE CCO Colm Henry is disputing the accuracy claim by Circle K. He says they “don’t sound right to me.” He’s comparing the self-administered antigen tests to the “gold standard” PCR.
Gordon Lawlor, managing director, Circle K Ireland commented, “As society continues to reopen and with strong progress on the vaccine rollout front, we feel there is a demand for access to antigen testing products to help further manage the risk associated with this virus.”
“We see the use of antigen tests as a complementary additional safety measure alongside the existing public health advice and Government guidance. It is really important that customers continue to abide by these measures and exercise good judgement when it comes to the usage of antigen tests,” he added.
