The HSE has made little use of controversial antigen testing, with new figures provided to senior ministers showing fewer than 300 tests have been used in acute hospitals and by public health.
n contrast, supermarket chain Lidl said it had sold 10,000 antigen test kits last Friday, the first day it had offered them for sale.
Antigen tests are faster and cheaper than PCR tests, which are considered the gold standard, but they are less accurate, particularly in people who are showing no symptoms of Covid-19.
The chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan, heavily criticised the kits being sold in supermarkets last week, saying it “represents a real risk to our pandemic response”.
Dr Holohan told a Nphet press briefing last Friday that he was “very concerned” that people will be buying antigen tests alongside “sausages and charcoal” and holding barbecues without following public health advice.
He said some antigen tests have only around 50pc accuracy and that this could result in half of cases being missed.
“These tests, if they’re not used properly, if they’re not used in very strictly controlled circumstances, have little role to play,” he said.
“The risk that we see is that it falsely reassures people because there are negative tests when an individual might in fact have the disease, and we might have a real risk of transmission occurring.”
He said people are “genuinely confused” about antigen testing and said they can be useful but only in “strictly controlled” situations.
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Yesterday, Lidl said it sold 10,000 antigen test kits (packs of five for €24.99) on Friday, describing it as a "high level of customer demand".
"Engagement with our customers shows they clearly know that testing is not a substitute for following all the necessary public health measures in existence, but that it is another useful tool in our battle against Covid-19," the supermarket chain said.
The HSE began rolling out antigen tests in hospitals in late January, having secured a supply of 500,000 from the EU.
But figures provided to the Cabinet earlier this month show that the use of antigen testing in acute hospitals, where there is readily available access to PCR testing, remains relatively low with fewer than 200 tests carried out.
Public health, which is able to use antigen testing in conjunction with PCR tests, have also reported low uptake with only 85 tests used.
By contrast, the Cabinet was told of figures from the Department of Agriculture which show that as of April 16, 10,866 tests have been used by the agriculture sector across 28 locations. This includes food and meat processing facilities.
In response to queries about its low take-up of antigen tests, the HSE said: “In its response to Covid testing requirements, the HSE has put in place a range of Covid-related guidances, testing capacity and contact tracing systems. Over 2020, significant capacity to respond to hospital and community testing needs has been developed to ensure rapid availability of Covid test results for patients.
“The HSE has also put in place a system of antigen testing for all hospitals as an additional testing approach to support requirements hospitals may have.
“All hospitals continually assess their requirements for Covid testing and where additional capacity is required, hospitals will put in place the necessary testing capacity. The use of all testing approaches is determined by clinical and public health requirements.”
Last month an expert group led by the Government’s chief scientific adviser Professor Mark Ferguson recommended a wider roll-out of rapid antigen testing in addition to public health measures, suggesting pilot schemes could be run in various settings from schools and colleges to sporting organisations and workplaces.
However, the HSE and Department of Health members on the group did not support the report’s findings.
The Government recently rejected a proposal from Leinster Rugby to allow up to 2,000 fans to attend games with the use of antigen testing, however such events may be allowed later in the summer and early in the autumn.