Belgium spends almost 3 million a day on PCR tests: “It’s time for that to change”
Would a testing strategy linked to the corona barometer be wiser? In any case, it is a safe bet that it would be more economical. Currently, Belgium spends almost three million euros every day to finance PCR tests. It is high time for this to change, says Pedro Facon, the corona commissioner.
According to him, one must question the effectiveness of the current testing strategy. Pedro Facon proposes to develop a new strategy, based on the different levels of the corona barometer. If this should not be on the Codeco table this Friday, it should be on the agenda of the CIM Santé next Wednesday.
“Today we are still testing everyone who has symptoms, but in code yellow this will soon no longer be useful“, he says in De Standaard. “The same goes for contact tracing. At the start of an epidemic, it is absolutely necessary. But as the pandemic evolves and transforms, we must question its effectiveness and cost..”
The corona commissioner pleads for the number of tests carried out in our country to be reduced, following the recommendation of the ECDC that Belgium should now start to put in place a long-term strategy for the management of the coronavirus.
Pedro Facon also considers it necessary to negotiate new prices with traditional laboratories, as well as with the federal platform set up with universities. He wants the tests to be analyzed only in a limited number of laboratories, as for the seasonal flu.