4 in each 5 who reported a constructive Covid-19 antigen take a look at consequence to the Well being Service Govt went on to check constructive for the virus in an official PCR take a look at, new HSE figures present.
For the previous month, the HSE has been asking folks signing up for PCR checks – the usual take a look at utilized by the HSE – whether or not they had carried out an antigen take a look at at house beforehand.
Of 10,258 individuals who stated that they’d examined constructive on an antigen take a look at, 79 per cent had been confirmed constructive beneath the PCR take a look at outcomes after they had been returned. The excessive affirmation charge on the PCR take a look at is in step with worldwide information.
Some 87 per cent of people that examined constructive on their antigen checks at house reported exhibiting signs of Covid-19, whereas 63 per cent stated that they had been totally vaccinated.
The HSE encourages folks with signs to hunt a PCR take a look at.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin stated that he was a “robust believer” in antigen checks and that their use can be thought of by the Authorities as a part of concerns on its response to the rising variety of instances of Covid-19 when the Cupboard meets on Tuesday.
‘Reasonable perspective’
“The general public well being officers have a extra average perspective on the worth of antigen testing, however some sectors have rolled out antigen testing and that’s one thing that the Authorities will probably be contemplating as properly over the following 24 hours,” stated Mr Martin.
He stated the continued use of Covid-19 certs exhibiting that folks have been totally vaccinated was “definitely an merchandise on the agenda, as is mask-wearing and so forth”.
The measures are being thought of in response to a rise in Covid-19 instances.
New figures on HSE take a look at outcomes confirmed that Covid-19 instances have been rising throughout all age teams with the 55-64-year-old age group recording the very best positivity charge of 11.7 per cent for the week to October seventeenth, a rise from 10.5 per cent per week earlier.
The second-highest positivity charge was among the many 65-74-year-old age group, at a charge of 11.4 per cent.
‘Additional layer’
The Authorities’s chief scientific adviser Prof Mark Ferguson stated on Monday that antigen testing was “actually helpful” because it supplied “an additional layer of safety”. He stated that whereas antigen had a task combating Covid-19, it was not an answer in itself.
The HSE has been finishing up a pilot scheme of antigen testing to display screen folks with out signs throughout third-level faculties, creches and residential care services.
Preliminary information exhibits that between July and October, there have been 916 antigen checks carried out on lecturers and college students at third-level services and two constructive instances had been returned.
At creches, there have been 1,242 checks carried out and one constructive case confirmed.
Underneath the programme, folks comply with be examined twice per week. Within the third-level faculties and creches, they will perform the checks at house, whereas in residential care services they should be supervised by a nursing supervisor because of the threat related to that setting from Covid-19.
Early information from the screening within the residential care services exhibits there have been about 3,500 destructive antigen take a look at outcomes and simply two constructive checks.
The programme is being carried out on a pilot foundation for operational causes to evaluate the distribution of the checks to the individuals and the reporting of the outcomes.
The Division of Agriculture has been facilitating the rollout of fast antigen detection checks at meat plans and meals manufacturing factories because the begin of the yr.
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