[ad_1]
It is somewhat complicated. The federal government and the cantons want to carry out more corona tests so that the chains of infection can be detected and interrupted earlier. That is why rapid tests were recently introduced. But for those who want to do such a quick test, finding a test center in the canton of St. Gallen is difficult. This is because the canton has not yet published the list of locations. FM1Today has now received the list exclusively (see overview map below).
The St. Gallen Pharmacy Association cannot understand the behavior of the canton. “I would be happy if the canton helped and published the list,” says the president of the association, Claudia Meier-Uffer. “If you want to follow the federal strategy, it is important that symptomatic people are screened as soon as possible.” In other cantons, such as Thurgau canton, information on testing centers is public and the president is in discussions with the health department, so the list is likely to be released “soon”.
Contact your GP to determine the test
The canton responded to the Keystone-SDA news agency in November: “No list will be published at the request of the medical profession.” At the request of FM1Today in the canton of St. Gallen on Wednesday, he said there was no point in publishing a list. However, the canton is clarifying whether a list will be published. However, the rapid test “is not always the appropriate instrument”, according to the canton. “For the ‘correct’ test to be chosen, several points must first be clarified.”
It is important for people with symptoms to contact their family doctor first. If you don’t have a family doctor, you should contact a doctor’s office. “Depending on the ability, the person is called to practice for the (rapid) test or referred to a nearby specialized practice,” reports the Canton of St. Gallen in writing. So the canton always kept an overview of the tests.
Thurgau publishes list, BAG refers to coronavirus control
Other cantons and the federal government are a bit more relaxed about it. In the canton of Thurgau, the canton has published a list; for the canton of Zurich, reference is made to a list from the pharmacy association. BAG mainly recommends coronavirus verification to determine the test. Alternatively, a doctor can be contacted, according to the website.
About a dozen rapid test pharmacies in the canton of St. Gallen
In the canton of St. Gallen, 12 pharmacies are currently offering rapid tests, with four more to be added in the coming weeks. This means that rapid tests can be done at one in three pharmacies. You can find an overview map below. There are 13 pharmacies and medical offices in Thurgau canton. The list of the canton of Thurgau is available here. Rapid tests are generally only carried out with prior notice.
A rapid test can be performed at these pharmacies in the canton of St. Gallen
“Fresh” symptom test
The rapid test is intended primarily for younger people in whom symptoms began less than four days ago. People should not belong to any risk group and should not work as nurses. With the rapid test, the results are available about 15 minutes after the test. This is especially good for preventing job loss, as Claudia Meier-Uffer from the Pharmacy Association explains. A quick test also makes sense for travelers who have to present a negative test result upon entry. Here, however, the federal government does not cover the costs.
Rapid tests are more prone to errors
However, rapid tests also have disadvantages. “They are not as sensitive as PCR tests.” This means: Sometimes a negative test result can also be shown if the virus load is very low, for example because the virus has not yet spread properly or was tested too late. In this case, testing centers recommend that examinees contact a doctor if symptoms persist for more than two days.
