How to proceed with the PCR tests in Austria
Isn’t the quality of the living room antigen tests also very different?
Yes, there are high quality and less high quality. As far as I know, ALTER and the Ministry of Health are already preparing a list of tests that are suitable for private use. However, an antigen test performed by a healthcare professional is always a better choice. If you take a nasal swab yourself, you usually only stay in the anterior nasal cavity, which limits the informative value. However, health workers also wipe the throat, especially with the Omicron variant.
These nose drill tests actually need an easy-to-understand package insert like a medication – in the case of the exact assessment of the risk of infection over time in the hours after the test. One must be aware that these tests should not give one a false sense of security.
Should widespread testing be retained?
Yes. The earlier people are identified who are infected but not yet infectious, the faster chains of infection are broken and the more the incidence curve is slowed down and dampened. There is enough study data to show that if half of the population is tested twice a week using PCR, then this has a significant impact on the incidence curve. However, the effect of a broad test is all the greater, the higher the quality of the tests and the people who test positive stay at home immediately.