CORONAVIRUS - CYPRUS COULD SOON DEPLOY RAPID TESTS IN COVID FIGHT

 Cyprus Mail 20 October 2020 - by Annette Chrysostomou

Rapid coronavirus tests are nearly as reliable as the PCR coronavirus tests, which are currently used and results are available in 20 minutes, Petros Karayiannis, a member of the government’s epidemiological team and professor of microbiology/molecular virology at the University of Nicosia medical school said on Tuesday.

They are very likely to be the way in which most people will very soon be tested for the coronavirus in Cyprus and many other countries, he said.

The scientific advisors have already discussed the tests with the health ministry, and an announcement clarifying to what extent they will be used will be issued soon, Karayiannis said.

“They can be used for mass screenings at airports, schools and hospitals,” he explained. “It is not true they are unreliable, the ones which have been developed recently are good, quick and cheap. They also simplify contact tracing.”

The tests detect specific proteins — known as antigens — on the surface of the virus.

People can administer the tests themselves, Karayiannis explained, adding they are “similar to pregnancy tests.” All that is needed is a sample of saliva.

The antigen tests can also identify at which stage of the infection people are and thus determine who is at a great risk of spreading the disease.

Only hours ago, Reuters announced that rapid tests will be introduced from Tuesday at Heathrow Airport to allow travellers to enter countries where a negative Covid-19 test result is needed to skip quarantine.  The test will cost £80 and the result is guaranteed within an hour.