Japan eyes introduction of quick coronavirus antigen test english.kyodonews.net

KYODO NEWS - 3 hours ago - 16:15 | All, Japan, CoronavirusThe Japanese health ministry is considering introducing an antigen test to more quickly screen for the new coronavirus amid a rise in the number of people who need testing, government sources said Wednesday.
The ministry may approve an antigen test kit that uses mucus taken from nose in May.
But as the new test is less precise than the existing polymerase chain reaction test, the dominant testing method which takes hours before results come out, officials will study under what circumstances to use it, they said.
(A mock drive-through coronavirus testing is carried out in Nara, western Japan, amid the spread of the pneumonia-causing virus.)
The government sources said private firms have been developing antigen test kits and are expected to release them soon.