Mayor Eric Garcetti joined county officials, researchers and first responders to announce the launch of a COVID-19 testing pilot project. (photo courtesy of Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office)

Researchers at the University of Southern California Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics are collaborating with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, 5th District, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on a project to examine the use of coronavirus rapid antigen tests among first responders and school-aged children.

The multi-pronged pilot study was announced on Oct. 27 and aims to determine the best methods for using inexpensive tests with the hope of supporting additional reopening efforts. Rapid antigen tests can cost as little as $5, deliver results within 15 minutes and can be conducted using a paper strip. By comparison, PCR tests cost approximately $100 and can take days for results. 

Rapid antigen tests can also be self-administered when paired with a smartphone app that can accurately interpret results. They have the potential to quickly alert people who are contagious and need to isolate, potentially stopping the chain of transmission. 

Los Angeles is one of the first metropolitan areas in the country to launch a large-scale pilot study of rapid tests in symptomatic and asymptomatic participants.

“Our new rapid tests are cheaper, faster, and more accessible – and they are a potential game changer in our ability to respond to COVID-19, reopen our schools and get our economy back on-track,” Garcetti said. “Los Angeles never shies away from a challenge, and we are tapping into our trademark creativity, our innovative spirit and our strong partners with USC and the county to advance groundbreaking research, prevent the spread of this virus and save lives.”

The first phase of the project began last week with Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters receiving three COVID-19 tests at city testing sites: a self-administered rapid antigen test, a lab-based PCR test and an antibody test to identify prior infection. The project, which aims to enroll up to 1,000 first responders, will provide insight into how each test performs and how to best administer the tests to essential workers.

“Rapid antigen tests have a lot of promise in our path to reopen schools and businesses because they are cheaper and provide quicker results than PCR tests. But there is a lot we don’t know,” said Neeraj Sood, director of the COVID Initiative at the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics. “We want to understand whether rapid antigen tests identify infectious and asymptomatic individuals, whether they can be self-administered and how they can be used for screening at schools and workplaces. We are especially excited to be piloting a new rapid antigen test and mobile app that uses computer vision technology to automatically interpret results.”

The second phase of the project seeks to assess the feasibility, acceptability and accuracy of repeat rapid antigen testing for screening in school-aged children. Sood, along with USC Keck School of Medicine Professor Jennifer Unger, will co-lead the project to determine the best process and strategy to test large numbers of students in institutional settings. Both phases will rely on volunteers as study participants. 

“This partnership with USC and the city of Los Angeles is an enormous opportunity to implement cutting edge research that has the potential to transform the way we approach the pandemic and how we can slow the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. “Identifying strategies to protect our essential workers and get children back to school safely are among our highest priorities.”

School administrators interested in participating can email covidstudy@healthpolicy.usc.edu.