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Relief for Overloaded Corona Testing Centers, Hospitals, and Corona Symptom Patients: The Federal Council will also allow the use of rapid antigen tests for doctors’ offices and pharmacies starting November 2. If you had to wait 24 to 48 hours for the result of common PCR tests, the rapid tests show the result in 15 minutes.
However, the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) only plans to use rapid antigen tests for those people who are considered symptomatic and who are not particularly at risk, as the BAG announced today. Also, the onset of symptoms should be less than four days ago.
Roche has a large test contingent ready for Switzerland
The coveted rapid tests will be distributed among the cantons according to population. The cost of the rapid antigen test is borne by the federal government based on the Epidemic Act, as it is called. However, only for those people for whom the FOPH recommends testing. Changing strategy during testing does not change anything in the quarantine regime.
Pharmaceutical company Roche launched its rapid tests this month and is making “a large contingent” available to Switzerland, as a spokeswoman said on request. Roche will be able to produce 90 million tests per month before the end of the year. Antigen testing should be done by a medically trained person with a nasal swab.
One in three pharmacies should be able to run rapid tests
The Pharmasuisse Pharmacists Association appreciates today’s decision and is already preparing for a safe offering in pharmacies, as announced. Rapid tests will be offered at one in three pharmacies before the end of the year.
Backwardness in the federal government
The Swiss Roche is one of the few manufacturers of these new tests, but the federal government was reluctant to introduce them because it wanted to do detailed research first. Now the FOPH has announced that rapid antigen tests are actually slightly less sensitive than PCR tests. However, this will be specifically taken into account in the new testing strategy. This is because people who meet the test criteria are contagious at the time the sample is taken and are recognized extremely reliably by rapid antigen tests.
Rather, the new capabilities of the PCR test will be used in a targeted way for hospitalized patients, for people particularly at risk and for people who work in direct contact with patients in the healthcare system.
