Rapid covid test in pharmacies: where to perform it in Bologna and Emilia Romagna – Chronicle

Bologna, December 18, 2020 – Everything is ready, Monday December 21 we go out. After the serological tests destined for the school world, from the staff to the students, with their families, the quick swabs at the pharmacy, with result in 15 minutes, for the second, mass projection campaign, forever voluntary and free, wanted for Emilia Romagna Region to strengthen the fight for Coronavirus

A new action, possible thanks the agreement with the territorial trade associations of public and private affiliated pharmacies, carried out with a specific objective: to test more and more people, intercept new asymptomatic positives as quickly as possible and extinguish root outbreaks, starting school and family.

More than 2 million citizens, from children to adults, potentially interested of the new epidemiological investigation, which will continue until June 30, 2021 (possibly extendable period) and will offer the possibility to all recipients of repeat the test once a month. And I am 374 pharmacies that have already joined from Piacenza to Rimini just a week after the agreement was signed, but the list is being updated. Since Monday, therefore, it will be possible Make an appointment to carry out the quick self-administered swab with the qualified assistance of the pharmacist.

The recipients, in addition to the pharmacists who participate in the project, are the citizens of the screening with rapid serological tests launched on October 19 and still in process, which has 326,000 people have already participated and detected the positivity of the coronavirus after the confirmation of the molecular swab in approximately 600 people (0.2%), thus deactivating the possible appearance of as many outbreaks.

The invitation to participate, valid for citizens who have health care in the region, is therefore addressed to all schoolchildren and students gives 0 to 18 years ei old attending the senior High School, with them parents (even if they are separated and / or do not live together and guardians / custodians), brothers me sisters and others members of the family partners, as well as grandparents who do not live together; University students who have a GP in Emilia-Romagna and who, although they attended here, attend universities outside the region. And again: the educational services staff 0-3 years cast school of all order and gradeincluding training institutions What do I provide? Vocational education and training courses (IeFP) and the students who assist them.

Financial investment in the region is substantial will reimburse pharmacies € 16.76 for each test, between acquisition of material, personal protective equipment and remuneration for the service.

“Also in this case we are talking about an unprecedented operation in Italy, which required and will require an extraordinary organizational and economic effort, from the Region and the pharmacies that have decided to join or will do so in the coming weeks – says the Councilor for Policies for health, Raffaele donini-. For health, one more weapon to stop the epidemic curve also in view of a possible third wave, and for the citizens of our region, potentially almost half, the possibility of checking, free of charge and with total security, if they have come into contact with the virus. Now that the long-awaited vaccine is there– Donini continues – and Emilia-Romagna is ready to go vaccination To health workers and guests of nursing homes in early January, we must resist, continue to exploit all possible tools to prevent and combat the spread of the virus.

Pharmacies that have already joined

One week after signing the agreement, I am 374 of 1,349 (as of this morning) affiliated pharmacies public or private have already joined the initiative, 28% of the total present in the region, increasing hourly. A Piacenza 31 pharmacies responded positively (32% of the total), a Parma 44 (31%), a Reggio emilia 40 (26%), one Modena 51 (25%), a Bologna 86 (29%), a Ferrara 17 (13%), a Ravenna 34 (31%), one Forlì-Cesena 47 (40%), a Rimini 24 (24%).

What should citizens do

By perform the test it is necessary, as of December 21, make an appointment with the pharmacist, consulting the list of members. The pharmacist will be in charge, during the reservation phase, of informing the citizen that the activity will be carried out in auto test. In case of minors, a parent or guardian must consent and be present to examine the child. The activity will always take place in compliance with all security measures, from the mandatory and correct use of the mask, which will be lowered only at the time of sampling and then correctly repositioned, to hand sanitation, from body temperature control to spacing.

Precisely because it is about a screening aimed only at people without symptoms, for the safety of citizens and pharmacists the test cannot be performed if in the last 10 days you have had close contact with people who suffer from Covid-19, if you have a fever over 37.5 ° C or respiratory symptoms. For citizens in these conditions, there are other active paths.

The participating pharmacies in Emilia Romagna

Test result

the pharmacist register the data of the person undergoing the test in the regional pharmacy portal; the result is sent to the public health doctor of the local health service and to the family doctor. In case of positivity, the citizen must remain isolated at home avoiding contact with other people, waiting to be contacted by telephone by the public sanctity services of his own Ausl to perform the nasopharyngeal molecular swab, which may or may not confirm the presence of the virus.