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This week, 11,000 Westerners will have the opportunity to test whether they are immune to the coronavirus.
Photo: University of Tromsø
The Norwegian University of the Arctic in Tromsø, along with the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, is behind the survey, which will be sent this week to 100,000 Norwegians, including 11,000 Westerners.
This means that you take a blood sample yourself and send it, so that it can be checked for antibodies. Many have already been contacted, but very few have responded.
Now researchers are asking Westerners to contribute. Prime Minister Erna Solberg said today that Bergen people who go out and travel on Christmas should be tested, especially if they are visiting the elderly.
– Westerners should know their visiting hours, says Professor Torkjel Sandanger from the University of Tromsø.
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This text message was sent by researchers Torkjel Sandanger and Erik Eik Anda to 11,000 Westerners and a total of 100,000 Norwegians. Photo: University of Tromsø
Low response rate among youth
He says many of those who have received the text contact because they do not believe the survey is genuine. So far, few from Vestland County have agreed to participate.
Text messages have already been sent to people across the country and this week 70,000 people will receive a new invitation. If they respond quickly, the results can be ready before Christmas. Only those who receive an SMS can participate in the research.
The response rate is particularly low in the 16-19 age group, where only one in seven has agreed to participate so far, and in the 20-29 age group.
– There is a group that should be interested in knowing if they have antibodies in their blood. They often do not have as many symptoms as healthy adults. So it’s interesting for them and for society, says Sandanger.
The exam is done by receiving a test kit and taking a blood sample from yourself through a bite on your finger. It must be secure by registering with bankid.
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Know how deadly the virus is
– A stab to the finger and two drops of blood from those who have been invited to participate in the study bring us closer to a solution, says Torkjel Sandanger.
– Why is this survey important?
– This will give us a better understanding of how the virus has spread in the population and will make an important contribution to NIPH when measures need to be adjusted after Christmas. We will also get to know more precisely how deadly the virus has been, says Sandanger.
The survey is part of an international study. From the University of Tromsø, Professor Torkjel Sandanger and Associate Professor Erik Eik Anda are behind the study.
