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Can a negative quick swab protect against the risk of infecting weak people?
certainly one more scruple, so much so that the Scientific Technical Committee (CTS) would also be thinking about it. for a strategy that does not give certainty and does not assure zero risk, on the contrary, it presents some critical questions regarding when and where to test.
Are rapid tests as reliable as the classic swab?
They detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 not through its nucleic acid (RNA), but through its proteins (antigens). To correctly identify coronavirus positives, the test must have high sensitivity and specificity, but these in turn depend on the prevalence of infection in the population. Currently, the data available for the different tests are those declared by the manufacturer: a mean sensitivity of 70-86% (where a high sensitivity corresponds to a few false negatives) and a specificity of 95-97% (where the specificity high corresponds to few false positives). ).
How many hours before meeting with family members should you take the test?
The first sore spot: the result is the photograph of a moment. I can test negative on the rapid test, but become infected in the following hours before meeting the family; or be negative, but I just got infected – it would be positive if I repeated the swab just a few hours later. It would be better, therefore, to do the examination near the festive occasion (with all the logistical problems of the case), or if there is suspicion of having been infected. Not immediately stops (the second problem): In many cases, rapid tests are not sensitive enough to detect the presence of the virus in small amounts, which occurs early in the infection, when people are most contagious. Faced with a suspected risky contact, it would be advisable to wait at least 48 hours before the test.
Will rapid tests be done at the pharmacy? Do I need to have a medical indication?
The Regions have granted authorization to carry out rapid tests to general practitioners, private clinics and pharmacies, but currently the only pharmacies that carry them out in Italy are two stores in Trentino. In the Lombardy Region, the tests will be excluded from the National Health Service, but each Region establishes the corresponding rules. It remains to be decided where to perform them (it is not possible to use the same premises as the pharmacy during the opening to the public), who will do them (medical personnel are needed) and which kits will be allowed. Another detail under discussion, whether or not a medical evaluation is required. All of these are factors still under discussion.
When does the test result arrive? How much?
The result is almost immediate: between 10 minutes and 30. The cost will depend on the Regions and individual pharmacies (or clinics), certainly less than the traditional swab.
In what other ways can family members be protected? Isolating himself first?
The safest procedure remains to isolate yourself for 14 days before meeting the weakest people. Not everyone can do it, especially at Christmas. A sensible alternative would be to do a quick test as close to vacation as possible and isolate yourself immediately afterward, until the day of the meeting. For example, if you had reserved a tampon for the 22nd, it would mean to do so and lock yourself up at home until the 25th, but, even in this case, we will not be 100% sure that we are not contagious.
Are spacing and bezels necessary?
In all cases at this time we cannot afford to forgo spacing, masking, and hand washing, even if we have a negative swab.
What remains to be done?
It must be considered that, according to all the studies, the highest risk situations are those in which there are prolonged interactions over time, in close contact, in closed places. Christmas lunch with many guests near the table, where people laugh and talk loudly without a mask for hours with the windows closed, a really dangerous moment. Perhaps to protect the weakest, you could think of a toast with a slice of panettone: less time together and masks to wear immediately after the brief moment of celebration.
* With the advice of Annarosa Racca, president of Federfarma Lombardia, and Antonella Viola, immunologist, professor at the University of Padua.
November 30, 2020 (change November 30, 2020 | 07:21)
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