Filenews 31 December 2021 - by Marilena Panagi
The proper use of self-tests seems to give safe results, explains to "F" the president of the Pancyprian Pharmaceutical Association Eleni Piera Isseyek, stressing that citizens "must strictly follow the instructions listed in the additional package leaflet that the pharmacist supplies them along with the packaging they receive".
"From the use of self-tests so far," Ms. Isseyek said, "we see that the results are very reliable since several citizens who are examined at home and have a positive result are then contacted by us and undergo rapid-test by a health professional, and the positive result is confirmed, or some turn to clinical laboratories or their personal doctor for verification."
When asked whether there is a chance that a person will have a negative result in the self-test and in a second test the result will be positive, Mrs. Isseyek said that "in both rapid-tests and even molecular tests a result can be negative and if it is repeated after a few hours or the next day the test the person will prove positive. What we are telling people is to strictly follow the instructions given to them by their pharmacist."
At the same time, he explained that "because in the package of instructions included in the package of self-tests it was found in time by the Ministry of Health that there was an incorrect icon, only in the Greek translation, the Ministry has provided us from the first moment with a second package of instructions which pharmacists usually put in the bag they give to citizens along with the packaging of self-tests". From the experience so far, said the president of the Pharmaceutical Association, "we find that citizens use the tests correctly and indeed we see that a culture began to develop among citizens, who began to get used to the idea that they should be examined before each exit or after a gathering in which they participated." "This is a very positive development because self-examination contributes to the effort to manage the pandemic. On the other hand, we see that we also have positive results which are then confirmed as cases and the process of isolation follows, which is also very positive."
This whole process, he continued, "gives us a sense of satisfaction that we are actively contributing as health professionals to the whole effort and proves at the same time that private pharmacies are part of primary health care. "
Self-tests, he recalled, "are given free of charge by private pharmacies to people who have received the two or three doses of the vaccine and are registered with the GHS. People who have not been vaccinated in Cyprus or have been vaccinated in Cyprus but are not beneficiaries of the GHS can obtain the tests free of charge from points designated by the Ministry of Health."
With the use of these tests, he stressed, "there is also a constant testing and testing of people who are vaccinated and may be somewhat complacent that they are not at risk from the virus. Citizens so far seem to have embraced the practice of self-testing and some who have gotten the one free packaging they are entitled to are coming back and want to buy packaging from pharmacies." This is, he said, "a practice that has been successfully followed for several months in other countries inside and outside the European Union and it has begun to become a habit in the world that they have to self-control before their exits or to feel themselves safe both for themselves and for those around them."
The prices at which the self-tests are available, Ms Isseyek said, "are quite affordable and the tests are given, either in packages that contain a number of tests, depending on the company, or one by one."
Concluding, Ms. Isseyek stressed that we must "remember that the result of the self-tests cannot be used for SafePass purposes."
Efforts to extend the sampling hours
Efforts are being made to extend the hours of rapid-testing by private pharmacies, Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantelas said in a statement. Speaking on "Alpha" TV, the health minister said that "it is not excluded that with the new year there will be a comprehensive review of the legislation governing the operation of pharmacies so that they can better perform their role in a time of pandemic". Asked to comment on the reduced number of sampling centres covering only vaccinated citizens, but also pharmacies that will operate on the days of holidays, he said he will have contact with the president of the Pancyprian Pharmaceutical Association "to increase the number of overnight pharmacies in the coming days".
"We will look at this again to increase these centres. I have personally gone to do the rapid-test in pharmacies and sampling centres on different occasions. I went December 26, a festive day where the whole world is going, and waited 10 minutes. But I will talk to the president of the Pancyprian Pharmaceutical Association to ask for an increase in the number of pharmacies that will be overnight these days," he said.
Test results
The citizens' protests that in some cases the results of the tests are negative and in a second test the person appears positive to the virus, was asked yesterday to comment the head of the Advisory Scientific Committee, Konstantinos Tsioutis.
"This phenomenon is not strange," Said Mr. Tsioutis and explained: "it is something that we know and often observe, especially in young people and in people vaccinated. Probably because there is already some degree of immunity, they do have symptoms, but they do not express the virus in large quantities in their respiratory system and that's why the tests, especially the rapid-tests, come out negative in the first days of symptoms. It is not a disadvantage of tests, it is a characteristic of them, since they detect the virus when it is in our respiratory tract, above a specific "concentration". It is one reason why we say that, even with a negative test, people with symptoms should remain confined and repeat the test. They can either repeat the rapid-test the next day, or do a molecular PCR test (either in a private laboratory or after a referral from the personal doctor). Because PCR is more sensitive than rapid, it can detect the virus in the respiratory system earlier and in a smaller amount than the antigen test."
