About 67 percent of all those who needed to get tested in the pilot phase of the mass-testing event in four districts in Northern Slovakia (Námestovo, Tvrdošín, Dolný Kubín and Bardejov) were tested in the first two days of the event that lasts until Sunday. Out of 121,518 people 4,432 had a positive result. Some of them may take a PCR test to confirm their antigen test result so the number may change in the following days.
Biochemist Pavol Cekan who is an expert in diagnostic tests and developed a PCR test for Covid at his company puts these numbers into perspective:
"It's not true that the antigen test detects only those who are infectious as well as it's not true that those who are not detected cannot be infectious. During mass-testing the antigen test catches about 50% of positive people who have the highest potential/chance to be infectious. And it does not catch about 50% of positive people out of which some may be infectious. And this does not happen tomorrow or in two days but at the very exact moment when the test is done,"' wrote Cekan on a post on social media.
The planned mass-testing event for coronavirus all over Slovakia will take place according to schedule in the weekends of October 30th - November 1st and November 6th-8th, when all inhabitants aged between 10 and 65 are asked to take part, foreigners included. After the first weekend of testing, only those who can show a negative test result - be it from the mass-testing or from a private lab on demand - can move freely.
