admin COVID-19

Covid antigen / flu test combined.

The laboratory at Atlantic Clinic has acquired a new clever piece of kit that will test for Covid antigen and influenza antigen on the same sample, and at the same price as the original Covid antigen test (45 euros, 45 euros on weekend/out of hours).
The results are ready as quickly as 15 minutes (sometimes a little longer when there is a heavy workload).
This is especially useful over the winter months of the flu season when it may be difficult to distinguish between the 2 types of infection.

Book a test

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admin COVID-19

New Antigen test for Covid-19

This test has just become available in Spain and has several advantages

  1. Rapid: It is as fast as the rapid antibody test, and faster than the PCR test. The results are ready from about 20 minutes of taking the sample.
  2. Early detection: it can detect Covid-19 as early as 2 day after contact with an infected person, or as soon as symptoms appear until 5 days after symptoms start.
  3. Cheaper than the PCR test. It costs 50 (55€ on weekends/out of hours) euros.
  4. Accurate: Sensitivity is 80-94% and Specificity is >97%  (this satisfies the requirements for intenational travel certification).
  5. It is taken by a nose or throat swab.

Disadvantages

  1. The result becomes negative as the infection clears (after 5 days from the start of symptoms). This may be useful to indicate that a patient is no longer infectious, but it cannot indicate a previous infection (antibody tests are better for this). 

So, which test to have?

      1. To detect a previous infection the ELISA antibody test is the most accurate. A cheaper, faster, but less reliable alternative is the rapid antibody test.
      2. When a PCR test is required for travel or employment, or when cost and rapidity is not an issue the PCR is recommended. At present this is the most accurate method for diagnosing a current active infection
      3. When cost and speed are important the Antigen test is recommended. For example a child may be sent home from school, or an employee sent home from work with possible Covid-19 symptoms, or you have had contact with somebody who tested positive. This test can give a positive or negative result within minutes, allowing that person to either isolate or get back to school/work quickly.

Book a test

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admin COVID-19

How accurate is the Covid-19 rapid antibody test?

The antibody testing at Atlantic Clinic is currently using the Acro Biotech kit.

The American supplier quotes an accuracy rate for the 2 types of antibodies: 

IgM: 92.9% IgG: 98.6%*

However, there are some uncertainties at the moment:

  1. These figures are based on current information. New data is coming in all the time and may refine them.
  1. The usefulness of the test depends to a certain extent on the proportion of people within a given population that has the virus, which is at present unknown. No one knows how many people may have been infected but show no symptoms.
  1. Antibodies take at least 7 days after infection (or after 4 days of symptoms) to show up on the test, so it is not useful in the very early stages of an infection. In these circumstances, where active Covid-19 is suspected, the PCR test is better, which in Spain is normally done in hospitals.

Antibody testing is used to identify those who have been infected for at least 7 days, or have recovered from a previous illness (either with symptoms, or a “silent infection” which went unnoticed). 

*For the technically minded, accuracy is a function of:

Relative specificity IgM 96%

Relative sensitivity IgM 85%

Relative specificity IgG 98%

Relative sensitivity IgG 100%

 

 

Dr. Anthony Crichton-Smith- GP

 

 

 

 

admin COVID-19

Everybody is talking about it… But what can we really do to protect ourselves from the coronavirus?

We know that this virus will not stop on its own and to date we also have no vaccine to immunize the population against the coronavirus. We can only count on the measures taken by the authorities to put an end to this epidemic and help, on our scale, to prevent infected people from transmitting the virus to those around them.

This means that the same measures should be followed as with any respiratory virus (cold, flu, etc.) but, this time, with a little more application and dedication:

– Avoid shaking hands or kissing everyone to say hello: of course, it is difficult to implement at first, but … this will avoid many infections!

– Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly.

– Cough in the hollow of your elbow or, better yet, in a tissue (which you will throw before washing your hands).

– Avoid as much as possible closed public places (shopping centers) and ventilate your home regularly if someone is sick.

– Avoid visiting fragile people (the elderly, young children, asthma sufferers, etc.) if you are sick: this will prevent contagion and put you in a delicate situation for your health.  

If your initial cold worsens in an unusual way (no clinical improvement after a few days, persistence of fever for more than 3 days, respiratory distress….): Consult your doctor without delay. Ideally, move with a paper mask to avoid infecting more people until the diagnosis is confirmed (flu or other).

Bérénice Ibarra Ottino