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The pharmaceutical company Roche reserved its new rapid antigen tests especially for Switzerland for several weeks. Last week, the federal government finally announced the first drug tests for Monday. But VIEW knows that pharmacies will only be ready in a week or two to offer the Roche test and the also approved rapid test from the American company Abbott. VIEW clarifies.
1. Where can I get tested with the new rapid antigen test?
The first pharmacies that can use rapid corona tests are in the cantons of Zurich and Schaffhausen. These are the seven that have cut down on conventional PCR testing since last month. But on Sunday night one of the pharmacists, Lorenz Schmid from Zurich, told BLICK that they weren’t ready this week. According to Schmid, pharmacies can use rapid tests in one to one and a half weeks at the earliest. Before the end of the year, 600 pharmacies in Germany should be able to carry out rapid tests. When your pharmacy is ready, you will see a stamp with a yellow background.
2. Why does it take so long before I get tested in pharmacies in Switzerland?
The federal government gave the tests to the cantons according to the size of the population. But according to Schmid, the pharmacist, the cantons still have to pass the tests. Additionally, pharmacies that have not previously performed PCR testing should first train their staff on nasopharyngeal swabbing. Pharmacies must also adapt their existing protection concepts. To protect customers and staff, some pharmacies will set up a tent outside or provide vacant premises nearby, as the pharmacists association Pharmasuisse says.
3. What is a nasopharyngeal smear?
As with the PCR test, the rapid test requires a nasopharyngeal swab taken by trained medical personnel. This method is considered the most reliable. A stick penetrates at least two inches into the nose to the wall of the throat. This is uncomfortable, it can cause gagging, but it is not painful. Similar to a pregnancy test, the result can be read after 15 minutes. Unlike the PCR test, there is no need for a lab test that can take 24 to 48 hours.
4. Can I shorten my quarantine if I am negative?
No, even people without symptoms who have been alerted by the Covid app should continue with the quarantine. There is the possibility of a false negative result, also because the virus cannot always be detected during the incubation period. The PCR test is still considered the most sensitive test.
5. How safe is the rapid test?
According to a first independent Swiss study from Geneva, the sensitivity of the two tests approved by Roche and Abbott is 80 to 89 percent. According to Roche, the test is 97 percent safe.
6. Where else can I do the rapid test, at home, at the doctor?
Since the swab must be taken by medical personnel, the rapid antigen test is not a self-test. Of the total of 50,000 rapid tests that should be possible every day, some should be performed by general practitioners. But the FMH medical association advises against testing for its 40,000 members. At the moment, rapid tests should not be used because there is only one study, said its president of the “NZZ am Sonntag”.
7. Who pays for the test?
The federal government assumes the costs of the rapid antigen test. The tests are offered on the Internet for 10 to 15 francs.
