Now there is a turning point in the fight against the virus in Norway. New tests reveal the virus in 15 minutes.

Norway has purchased three million new, ultra-fast tests. It can revolutionize the search for infections.

– This will strengthen our strategy to further combat the virus, says Health Minister Bent Høie (H).

The first rapid tests will arrive in Norway next week. It will multiply the testing capacity.

This may be decisive during the fall for Norway’s TISK strategy (testing, isolation, infection detection and quarantine).

It is about testing people as quickly as possible, so that patients are isolated and detection of infection can begin after close contacts.

• Helse Sørøst has signed an agreement for the delivery of three million rapid tests to Norway.
• In addition, Norway has an option for another two million rapid tests.

– Thus, we have achieved five million rapid tests. So Norway will have good access guaranteed all year long and until next year, Høie says. The price is approx. 150-200 million crowns.

A turning point in the fight against the virus

Since February, 1,065,000 people have been tested in Norway.

The tests increased considerably in August. But in recent weeks, the capacity has exploded.

Both the head of the WHO and the president of the United States, Donald Trump, have described the new tests as a turning point.

The purchase comes after WHO approved an agreement to purchase 500 million rapid tests.

There are several reasons why this is described as a milestone in the fight against the virus.

You can test people at the airport.

Høie tells Aftenposten that rapid tests will be prioritized as follows in the first round:

• Testing of people with symptoms who suspect they may be infected.
• Tests related to the detection of infections.
• Test sites with long transport times to the laboratory.
• Test stations at the borders.

Initially, health authorities will use both types of tests. At the same time, it is important to develop a system so that the results are correctly interpreted and further reported.

– We are now working to specify how the rapid tests will be used. For example, it’s important to make sure the test result is recorded, Høie says.

Seven days from illness to response

The 13,795 people who tested positive in Norway as of September 27.

• Figures from FHI show that an average of two to five days passed from the time they got sick until they were tested.
• Then, it took two days from sampling until the response was recorded.
• This means that it took an average of seven days from when a person became ill until detection of the infection began, figures from FHI show.

In the event of local outbreaks this fall, including in Haugesund and northern Norway, it took 4-5 days for a response.

In the meantime, the virus could spread further.

– The big advantage of quick tests is that you get a quick response after 15 minutes. So tracking the infection can start faster, Høie says.

This gives the virus a minor advantage. A faster reaction, isolation and quarantine will be crucial to avoid a new wave in Norway this winter.

Quick test vs. PCR test: what’s the difference?

Today, the health service uses so-called PCR tests. They are very accurate and detect virus RNA in samples from the nose or throat.

The challenge is that it takes longer, requires highly trained staff, expensive equipment, and must be analyzed in a laboratory.

The new rapid tests that Norway and several other countries have purchased are now called antigen tests. They are not that precise, but they are very fast, affordable and easy.

Rapid tests that Norway has ordered detect between 96.5 and 97.1 percent of cases of infection, clinical studies show. Therefore, there is a small risk that people declared healthy are actually sick. It also happens that people test positive, even if they are healthy.

However, the accuracy has greatly improved. Therefore, the WHO now approved the large-scale purchase of 500 million tests.

Extended testing capacity

Norwegian laboratories managed to analyze up to 86,000 samples in August. But now the capacity has exploded.

Furthermore, there is a shortage of equipment in the world market.

Health Minister Bent Høie emphasizes that rapid tests cannot replace tests that take place in laboratories.

– A lot of diagnostics still have to be done in labs, says Høie.

Rapid tests also work best in the last two days before getting sick and 2-3 days after. This is when the virus produces the highest amount of antigens that can be detected in nasal swabs.

Although the response comes quickly, enough people and a good organization are required to conduct the tests and seek close contacts with the infected.

Buyer from USA and Switzerland

The tests that Norway has bought are performed by pharmaceutical giants Abbott of the United States and Roche, based in Switzerland.

– The test that the Norwegian authorities have now requested can be used by healthcare personnel in many different situations. They are especially useful when you depend on quick responses or when there is no access to laboratory tests, says CEO Daniel Malarek of Roche Diagnostics Norway.

He thinks rapid tests will be very important as we are entering a new flu season.

– At, for example, airports, border crossings, and nursing homes, it can be helpful to get a quick answer on whether a person has a corona using a test kit. Then it will be possible to quickly implement measures to limit the spread of the infection, says Malarek.