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Last week, more than 15,000 Stockholmers were tested for antibodies, and statistics requested by DN show that 31.6 percent, about a third, had antibodies to COVID-19. That’s a doubling in just over a month.
– There has been a steady upward trend for the past five weeks. This indicates that we have had a great spread, however, we do not know what it looks like in the entire population, but only among those who have tested themselves, says Claes Ruth, functions manager of the Laboratory of the University of Karolinska.
Statistics also show that some 45,000 people for ongoing covid-19 and about 22 percent were infected, which is about the same as the previous week. It was also found that more than 1,000 people who tested negative at gas stations in recent weeks were likely to have been infected.
– We are aiming for 50,000 tests, but we had some problems this week. On the one hand, the material problem was mainly the tests that didn’t work as they should, and then we had some logistics problems that meant that we didn’t get all the samples, says Claes Ruth.
The test pressure makes Waiting times were sometimes long, averaging 48 hours depending on the region. Several rapid antigen tests are also now being tested for evaluation. Antigen testing is faster, cheaper, and does not burden laboratories. The downside is that they are not as safe as regular tests. Also, the ability to detect the virus varies greatly between different tests.
– We are testing and evaluating antigen tests. We hope to be ready with the analyzes relatively soon in a few weeks. They are not as good as pcr tests and therefore you have to think about whether and how you can use them.
Groups that could be tested for antigens should also be investigated.
– Several antigen test providers are conducting an evaluation to see how they work. Then we will see how, if and in what contexts we can use them, says Claes Ruth.
The European Commission calls now member states and regions will use antigen testing on a broad front to stop the spread of infection. The EU considers that antigen tests should be used if the testing capacity is limited and if it takes more than 24 hours to obtain a response. Antigen testing should also be considered in areas where the proportion of positive tests is greater than ten percent. In the event of a widespread spread of infection, healthcare and care staff and other healthcare staff and other healthcare staff and other healthcare staff also recommend regular testing every two to three days in spaces reduced as institutions or detention centers.
The Skåne region has already purchased 200,000 antigen tests that will be used to screen staff for infection in nursing homes and care or health center patients in need of a rapid response.
Antigen tests are performed by healthcare professionals through the nose with a sampling stick. The answer can be read off a test cassette in fifteen minutes. Region Skåne hopes that rapid tests will free up both healthcare resources and laboratory capacity. However, positive tests will initially be supplemented with standard covid tests.
Read more: Every fifth Stockholmer tested is infected by covid
