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COVID-19 infection tests in Korneuburg (Austria) on November 27 – Photo: REUTERS
Austria after lifting the blockade on December 6 is expected to carry out a massive test for 8.9 million people in the week before Christmas.
A large test center was built in Vienna at the end of November. The technique used is the antigen test. Results are available in 10 minutes.
To rule out false positives, Austria will recheck with the RT-PCR test.
Slovakia found 1% positive
Slovakia in Central Europe is the first country in the world to mass test all populations using antigen testing.
45,000 medical professionals, soldiers and police were mobilized to test 5.5 million people at 5,000 points.
The test is completely free and takes place on 3 weekends from the beginning of November 2020.
Anyone with a positive result must be quarantined for 10 days. People with negative results receive a certificate that allows free movement in the water.
No testing is required, but anyone who rejects the test without a negative RT-PCR test result is subject to isolation.
They cannot work, but they can go out to buy essentials or go to the doctor. The police found that violators will be heavily fined.
According to the newspaper The world (France), about 1% of people who take the test have had a positive result.
Three weeks after the testing campaign, the number of COVID-19 infections has decreased, but it is difficult to know if it is due to the massive testing campaign or the lockdown measures implemented in late October 2020.
Dr. Antoine Flahault, Director of the Institute for Global Health at the University of Geneva (Switzerland), commented: “We have noticed that the virus is still circulating.”
The Slovak government admits that free antigen tests may have reduced the number of people testing RT-PCR (paid), resulting in artificially reduced COVID-19 results, while RT- PCR are mechanical. Unique database for daily epidemiological statistics.
Even so, Prime Minister Igor Matovic still wants to continue the massive test for three weekends in December.
Mass test in Trenčianske Stankovce (Slovakia) on 7-11 – Photo: REUTERS
In other parts of the world
Luxembourg does not mass-test the entire population, but only representative samples, xThe test is free and is not mandatory.
Four resident populations are analyzed, including those who are frequently exposed to infectious environments (health workers, police …); Sample the general population and cross-border workers, incoming tourists, and people living in outbreaks.
The test was carried out using the RT-PCR method in 8 detection centers. A mobile test team was also formed.
Mass testing at the city level where Liverpool (UK) has conducted a mass test of 500,000 people since November 6.
The campaign runs until November 27 at 85 test centers.
Campaign with antigen technique and saliva sampling. Anyone that is positive will be retested for RT-PCR. People with positive results should be isolated for 10 days.
Italy carried out a massive antigen test on November 21 in Bolzano (northern Italy) for 500,000 people.
Of the 400,000 tests that tested positive by 1%, people infected with COVID-19 showed no symptoms.
In China, Wuhan is also hosting mass testing for 11 million people as of May 2020.
The assay is used by a pooled sample technique. If a group tests positive, test each sample from that group.
The army mobilized to participate in the massive testing campaign in Liverpool – Photo: AFP
Switzerland refuses to undergo massive tests
The Scientific Panel considers the antigen test to be less sensitive than the RT-PCR test.
Furthermore, Switzerland is more complicated than Slovakia because it is made up of autonomous states, making it difficult to conduct massive logistics and policy testing.
