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ALEXANDRA WEY
Thorough testing should ensure efficient contact tracing. However, Switzerland performs significantly fewer corona tests than neighboring countries. A self-collection kit with painless sampling could increase the willingness of the population to perform the test.
Canadian researchers have developed a preservation liquid that guarantees high sample stability. In Switzerland, Home Sampling GmbH in St. Gallen sells the self-sampling equipment. The saliva test is CE-IVD certified and has been verified by a Swissmedic certified laboratory.
The tests are already being used in the US and Canada, as explained by the St. Gallen company at the request of Keystone-SDA. In the United States alone, the University of Kansas tested 30,000 students in this way. According to studies by Stanford University and the University of Washington, the reliability of withdrawals and withdrawals by trained medical personnel is at the same level.
Additionally, according to a Yale University study, the sensitivity of detecting Sars-CoV-2 RNA in saliva is comparable to or superior to that of a nasopharyngeal smear, writes Home Sampling.
Boris Waldvogel, Managing Director of Invenimus, said on request that the necessary verification was carried out in the laboratory to introduce the collection set. The Kloten ZH laboratory will analyze the tests. The 250 comparative measurements (double nasopharyngeal swab samples and saliva tests) gave consistent results.
Do not eat or drink anything half an hour before
An uncomfortable nasopharyngeal swab is not necessary. The person doing the test can spit their saliva into a tube with a funnel at home, at the doctor, or at the test center. “You are not allowed to eat or drink half an hour before the extraction,” explains Waldvogel. Smoking before sampling is also a source of error. The sample can be sent to the laboratory by mail. On the day it was received, examinees received the result by encrypted email.
Self-collection tests are intended to help identify and isolate infected people and their contacts more quickly. “The test can be done anywhere. You don’t have to go to a doctor’s office for this, ”says Waldvogel. Also, this could save significant resources. Unlike the nasopharyngeal swab, medical personnel are not exposed to any risk of infection. Also, less protective material is needed.
Thanks to the saliva test, companies can have their symptomatic employees send home collection kits. The set is also useful for business travelers in order for the medical laboratory to issue the necessary certificate to enter a third country.
The saliva test is the most enjoyable method, especially for children, said Waldvogel, who expects a rush for the holidays. There are 25,000 self-extracting kits in stock. If you do not want to pay the costs of 157 francs yourself, you need a doctor, a test center or an authorized pharmacy. (SDA)
