Countries turn to rapid antigen tests to contain second wave of COVID-19

FILE PHOTO: A health worker performs a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) antigen test in the working class neighbourhood of Vallecas, which has been under partial lockdown, in Madrid, Spain, September 29, 2020. REUTERS/Sergio Perez/File Photo

ZURICH/BERLIN (Reuters) - Countries straining to contain a second wave of COVID-19 are turning to faster, cheaper but less accurate tests to avoid the delays and shortages that have plagued efforts to diagnose and trace those infected quickly.

Germany, where infections jumped by 4,122 on Tuesday to 329,453 total, has secured 9 million so-called antigen tests per month that can deliver a result in minutes and cost about 5 euros ($5.90) each. That would, in theory, cover more than 10% of the population.