Correlation of Examination Between the Rapid Test Diagnostic and PCR Test Results of Patients Confirmed Positive to Patients Under the Surveillance of Covid-19 at the Covid-19 Referral Hospital in Palu City

Abstract

Introduction: A new type of coronavirus that has been discovered in humans since the outbreak occurred in Wuhan China, in December 2019 and caused a disease called Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19). Rapid testing of specific antibodies in a patient's blood is a good choice for quick and simple detection of COVID-19. However, RT-PCR remains the best standard for diagnosing COVID-19.

Objective: To determine the correlation between rapid test diagnostic and PCR test results of patients confirmed positive to patients under the surveillance for COVID-19 at the COVID-19 Referral Hospital in Palu City.

Methods: This research was a descriptive correlation and cross-sectional approach method. The population numbered 153 people and became the sample in this research. The method used was total sampling. The independent variables were the rapid test diagnostic of patients under the surveillance, and patients confirmed positive, while the dependent variables were the PCR test result of patients under the surveillance and patients confirmed positive. The instruments in this research were medical records and statistical analysis using the contingency correlation test.

Results: The number of patients under surveillance for COVID-19 in the period March-September 2020 in Palu City totaled 65 patients, 44 people (67.7%) had reactive rapid results and 21 non-reactive rapid results (32.3%). Meanwhile, 88 patients confirmed positive for COVID-19 with rapid reactive results totaled 79 (89.8%), while 9 patients confirmed positive for COVID-19 (10.2%). The results of the statistical test using the contingency correlation test obtained a p-value = 0.001, which means that there is a relationship between rapid test diagnostic and PCR test results in patients confirmed positive to patients under the surveillance of Covid-19 at the Covid-19 Referral Hospital in Palu City.

Conclusion: There is a correlation between the Rapid Test and the PCR Test used at the COVID-19 referral hospital in Palu City, which means that most patients who are reactive on the Diagnostic Rapid Test are also positive on the PCR Test.