Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on his blog told about new testing for antibodies to COVID-19, which will become available to Muscovites in the near future. This is an ELISA test that allows you to simultaneously determine the presence or absence of IgM antibodies (a marker of the presence of coronavirus infection) and IgG (a marker of immunity to coronavirus infection) in the blood.
The testing methods that are used now do not give a complete picture: we can only find out whether a person is sick now or not. At the same time, many could already have been ill - including asymptomatic or with minimal symptoms, which were attributed to a cold or stress. The new screening system will provide accurate information about the health status of patients and the general situation in the city.
The program will be launched on May 15, such tests will be free for all residents of the city. Sergei Sobyanin told how it will work:
- In 30 adult clinics in Moscow (on average, 3 per administrative district), 2 treatment rooms will open. They will be able to donate blood for testing.
- Every few days, approximately 70,000 Muscovites will receive an invitation for testing. They will be sent by e-mail or SMS, the selection will be carried out at random. To make an appointment, you will need to follow the link in the letter or message. Testing is voluntary and can be waived.
- The test results will be reported weekly - in the city as a whole and for each administrative district.
The main purpose of this screening is to get an idea of the real dynamics of the spread of the infection. Such a check will reveal the disease at the earliest stages, as well as in those who are asymptomatic and pose a danger to others. By the end of May, the ELISA testing system will be able to conduct up to 200 thousand analyzes daily.
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4 466 223
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