Today, Mariupol has received a batch of rapid tests for the presence of COVID-19 antigens. They determine whether a person has previously had a coronavirus. 62 thousand express tests will be distributed among the city's medical institutions. Their total cost is UAH 11 million from the state budget.
“The results of such tests can be found out in 20-30 minutes. The difference between the new tests and the previous ones is that they do not require blood sampling skills. Take a sample of saliva or sputum. Then the samples are sent to the laboratory for testing, ” Lyudmila Sergeeva, head of the department of medical services for the population said.
She added that after the virus enters the body, the human immune system begins to produce antibodies - immunoglobulins. The test can show if a person has had COVID-19, even if they are asymptomatic. If antibodies are detected, it means that the body has reacted to the encountered virus.
Testing with new tests will begin in a few days.