Art Caplan: Antigen Testing For COVID-19 May Be Having Its Moment

Boston Area Continues Covid-19 Testing At Sites Around City — Medical professionals work at a drive-thru coronavirus testing site at CHA East Cambridge Care Center on May 15, 2020 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The city of Cambridge is offering testing to any resident who wants it, and requiring residents to wear masks in public spaces in order to combat the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Zoe Mathews is a producer for Boston Public Radio and the producer of The Scrum podcast.

August 12, 2020

Updated August 07, 2023

Antigen tests for COVID-19 may be having their moment, despite being less accurate than tests that rely on laboratory processing.

As school districts look to return to in-class learning, medical ethicist Art Caplan told Boston Public Radio a quantity over quality approach may prove effective for schools, provided students and staff are tested often.

Art Caplan is the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty chair and the director of the division of medical ethics at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.