Four in every five who reported a positive Covid-19 antigen test...

Four in every five who reported a positive Covid-19 antigen test result to the Health Service Executive went on to test positive for the virus in an official PCR test, new HSE figures show.

For the past month, the HSE has been asking people signing up for PCR tests – the standard test used by the HSE – whether they had carried out an antigen test at home beforehand.

Of 10,258 people who said that they had tested positive on an antigen test, 79 per cent were confirmed positive under the PCR test results when they were returned. The high confirmation rate on the PCR test is in line with international data.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that he was a “strong believer” in antigen tests and that their use would be considered by the Government as part of considerations on its response to the rising number of cases of Covid-19 when the Cabinet meets on Tuesday.

The Government’s chief scientific adviser Prof Mark Ferguson said on Monday that antigen testing was “really useful” as it provided “an extra layer of protection”.