Corona tests – Swiss labs are crazy about the BAG – News

Medical labs have to implement the federal corona testing strategy, but their anger at the FOPH is great.

Test, test, test: that is the crown strategy of the federal government. The Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) wants to carry out up to 40,000 corona tests per day in the medium term. However, the federal government again reduced the amount laboratories receive per test nearly two weeks ago. That was to cover costs, found the BAG.

There is a lack of supplies

But the labs are not happy with that. “Many colleagues were not very happy,” said Willi Conrad, president of the Swiss Medical Laboratory Association.

There are two reasons for this: on the one hand, laboratories have to deal with high price pressure, on the other hand, “tests, machines, etc.” very scarce on the market, says Conrad: “That means that at the moment less tests are being delivered to Switzerland than we have to produce.”

For about two weeks, fewer materials that laboratories need for testing have been delivered, that is, swabs, but also substances that detect the coronavirus.

More testing needs in winter

According to the federal government, there is currently sufficient testing capacity for the amount of testing that is currently being conducted. However, the demand will increase in winter. BAG writes on request that one is in contact with manufacturers to increase the materials that are supplied to Switzerland.

For Willi Conrad, however, a completely new strategy is needed for winter: testing as much as possible is not the right thing to do under the circumstances: “If we only have limited testing capabilities, naturally it makes sense that these testing capabilities benefit those. patients who really need them the most, ”says Conrad.

The BAG writes that there are several ways to try to prevent testing from becoming a rare commodity. Also, the new rapid tests are a way to keep running a lot of tests.