Economy: now it turns out that a country can clean itself of the virus if everyone gets tested

A human experiment that cost more than 50 million euros; In short, the decision of the Slovak government to test the entire population of the country for coronavirus within a few weeks, with the exception of children under the age of 10, could be described as such.

The announcement immediately came to the fore not only in Slovakia but also around the world, as massive testing has never been conducted anywhere except China. However, the reactions are not only positive: some criticize the chaos surrounding the organization, others the changing communications from the government, and it has not been a resounding success that the authorities use rapid antigen-based tests instead of PCR tests. more reliable made by experts.

In any case, the latter are already on their way to the country, Prime Minister Igor Matovic also posted on Facebook on Tuesday the shipment requested to South Korea, and it will be taken to Europe on an An-124 plane. The Bratislava government commissioned a total of 14 million of them, which was significantly cheaper than the market price, and the cost of the tests was 4 euros, or about 1,500 guilders.

“Slovakia has two options in the current epidemiological situation: either a total closure throughout the country, or we are doing something to avoid this,” argued Matovic to carry out the tests after the government meeting on Wednesday.

What is definitely surprising about the setup is the speed: preparations are underway for 3 weeks in the background, tests were announced last week, and test operation will start over the weekend, in the district most at risk of the epidemic of coronavirus. Most of the tests are New word According to the newspaper, it will take place over two weekends, from October 30 to November 1 and from November 6 to 8.

Participation will be voluntary in the face of the first news, as far as it can be called, since those who do not attend will face 10 days of mandatory home quarantine, lower and sick pay. And those who violate the required quarantine can be fined 1,650 euros (600 thousand florins).

The only exceptions will be children under the age of 10 and those over 65 who isolate themselves at home, the latter also preferring that the government stay at home. However, due to this, it is currently not possible to estimate exactly how many will participate in the action.

Soldiers are also deployed

A Economic newspaper According to a poll published Tuesday in the Slovak daily, only 44 percent of those surveyed said they would definitely put themselves to the test and 28.3 percent would likely leave. Ten percent of those surveyed definitely said no, that they are primarily concerned about getting infected at the test points.

The government is trying to allay this concern, but it will not be an easy task, as it is a huge undertaking that closely resembles organizing a parliamentary election. Around 6,000 test sites are being established in the country, a number that corresponds essentially to the number of electoral districts. Each test site will require an average of seven to eight people, even accompanied by volunteers. The military will also help carry out the action. Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said 8,000 soldiers had been mobilized to carry out the tests. They will also provide the necessary disinfections.

The testers are paid as a basis 7 euros (2,500 guilders) per hour, so the samplers receive an additional “risk premium” of 20 euros (7,300 guilders) for each positive test result.

If you don’t want to go to a state test, you can do it in a private laboratory, but in this case you have to pay the full price, which in Slovakia is between 60 and 80 euros (22-28 thousand florins).

By the way, the government’s national coronavirus testing plan did not find uniform acceptance in Slovakia. Many, including, for example, the Association of Private Physicians, dispute this decision and the mayors of the municipalities lack effective and practical communication from the state.

“Comprehensive tests at the national level were not properly prepared, incorrect and dangerous,” they said. TASR news agency. According to the association, the plan raises a number of issues, so it is proposed that it be stopped and discussed.

The population is not entirely satisfied either. Pavel Novotny, a Economic newspaper his colleague told hvg.hu: hear more and more critical voices, especially on social media. According to the journalist, many are also unhappy with the chaos and disorganization, the latter well illustrated by the fact that President Zuzana Caputová also only found out about the plans from the press. At the EU summit last week, Matovic shared his ideas with some of his colleagues without first informing his country’s president.

According to Novotny, many also complain that communication is not clear and the prime minister has already changed his mind often.

“One day he says that participation is not mandatory, then the next day he says that he has to go into a 10-day quarantine for those who don’t test themselves. Part of the population is confused and angry with the government, but the political consequences are unlikely to occur yet because the coalition members have joined Matovic, ”he said.

Furthermore, as a result of the protests, the Prime Minister no longer expresses his previous claim to resign if the test fails.

“Several people have launched a Facebook action against participation to see if Matovic really resigns, and since then the prime minister has not really raised the issue,” Novotny said.

False sense of security

The Prime Minister no longer mentions his statement in early October that antigen-based tests are not reliable. However, experts say the biggest danger of the tests is that they are not done using PCR testing.

There is complete scientific consensus that current coronavirus infection is most reliably detected by PCR using hereditary viral material (RNA). Its advantage is that it can be used in both asymptomatic and symptomatic people, it is extremely reliable, the disadvantage is that it is expensive and time-consuming.

Rapid antigen-based tests, on the other hand, do not detect the inheritance of the virus but rather the protein (protein S) it contains. This also requires specialized personnel (as the sample is taken from the pharynx or nose in the same way), but does not require a special molecular diagnostic laboratory. The advantage is that it is much faster than the PCR test, with the result in only 15 minutes. However, a big drawback is that it is only ideal if used in symptomatic patients, most likely infected with Covid-19. Due to its lower susceptibility, the rapid antigen-based test may not detect coronavirus during the first days of infection. This is because, compared to RNA, viral proteins later become detectable in the airways.

As all citizens of Slovakia are tested with an antigen-based test, there is a risk of many false negative results and

even tens of thousands of people will be able to walk the streets knowing there is nothing wrong with it, even though the test simply did not show they were infected.

It is not a coincidence that when used as intended, the negative result obtained with the antigen-based test is usually confirmed by a PCR test, which is also the case in Hungarian healthcare institutions. This is not to say that antigen-based tests have no reason to be, their use can significantly reduce the risk of infection in places where there is no laboratory history and the result is needed quickly, such as in a dental and general clinic, a airport or sporting events.

For now, the Slovak government has said that the tests have nothing to lose and that many asymptomatic patients are likely to be diagnosed. the New word According to Matovic, he hopes the action will be able to lower the epidemic curve and that the relaxation period can return, along with testing people at the country’s borders for 60 days to filter new infections and prevent new measures.

In Slovakia, the numbers related to the coronavirus epidemic rose dramatically last week, with 638 patients currently being treated in hospitals, 51 of whom need a ventilator, according to data from Tuesday. In the last 24 hours, more than 13,000 tests have been performed in 5.4 million countries, and in 2002 new infections were found (33,602 confirmed infections have been known since spring), and the number of deaths at the beginning of the epidemic (98) is less than one tenth in Hungary.

The Bratislava government introduced new precautions last week, including the use of face masks in public places across the country. Previous decisions already banned mass events and limited the number of shoppers in stores. From 9 am to 11 am, grocery stores and pharmacies are reserved for seniors. Cinemas, theaters and adventure baths are closed and restaurants can only be served on the terraces. National championships in five main sports, including soccer and hockey, continue only without spectators. High schools closed Monday and switched to distance learning.