Laboratory Diagnostic Tests Archives - LoveCyprus | We Love Cyprus and you will Love it too.

COVID-19 tests for retail employees continue, construction workers started testing yesterday

LoveCyprus — Tue, 05 May 2020 12:48:21 +0000

Tests for COVID-19 continue among employees working in retail, as measures relax gradually in Cyprus, Press Officer of the Ministry of Health, Margarita Kyriakou, told CNA. Yesterday, authorities started taking samples from people working on construction sites, she added.

Kyriakou said that tests started on Monday and will be concluded by May 25. A total of 14,000 employees working in retail and 6,000 people working in construction sites will be tested as part of the program.

Kyriakou said that one employee will be tested in businesses employing up to 3 people, three employees in businesses employing up to 10 people, six employees in businesses employing between 10 and 30 and 10 employees in businesses employing more than 30 people.

As for people working in construction sites, Kyriakou said that samples were taken on May 6. Half of the 6,000 tests will be done using mobile units on site, and the rest will be conducted after an appointment.

Laboratories conducting the tests will be informed today about the list of construction sites as well as about the number of employees to be tested, in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour, Kyriakou said.

Source: CNA

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Authorities start taking samples from public and private sector employees to test for COVID-19

LoveCyprus — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 06:41:16 +0000

A total of 276 tests for coronavirus were conducted on Sunday among health professionals and personnel working at Nicosia and Larnaca hospitals, the Spokesperson of the State Health Services Organisation (SHSO), Pambos Harilaou, told CNA. In total, authorities plan to conduct 6,500 tests among health professionals, as part of the measures to counter the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Harilaou added.

Tests of health professionals are part of the 20,000 tests the government announced for public and private sector employees.

Harilaou said that they will take samples from all personnel working in public hospitals, without making any exceptions.

So far, samples were taken from 249 people working at Nicosia General Hospital and 27 people at Larnaca General Hospital.

Harilaou also said that they will take 600 samples per day, in line with the capacity of a private company and the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics conducting the tests.

The procedure will be completed in 10 days, he added.

Health Ministry press officer Margarita Kyriaou told CNA that all private laboratories started on Monday taking samples for the 20,000 tests to be conducted among employees working in the public and private sector, as well as in the National Guard.

Some laboratories started taking samples on Saturday and according to the results announced yesterday, one person was found positive to COVID-19 among a total of 148 tests.

Kyriakou also said that results will be ready within 48 hours. All 20,000 tests will be completed within 20 days, she added.

In line with the decree issued on April 8, 2020, by the Health Minister, tests will be conducted among personnel that continues work at their workplace. Priority will be given to those serving the public and personnel working for the National Guard, Police, Fire Brigade, banks, post offices, gas stations, supermarkets, kiosks, bakeries and similar services.

Source: CNA

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Epidemiology research helpful at pandemic’s end, expert says

LoveCyprus — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 06:53:16 +0000

An epidemiology research with the collection of random samples from 800 people as well as 20,000 laboratory diagnostic tests within 20 days to people who continue to go to work for COVID-19, will be done in order to have a comprehensive picture of epidemiological data. This will help when no more confirmed cases are reported, in order to decide to ease restrictive measures in place to combat the coronavirus, member of the Cyprus Health Ministry’s advisory team of experts and professor of microbiology and molecular virology Petros Karayiannis has said.

He explained that testing announced by the government will be conducted “in order to have a picture as to how many asymptomatic carriers or people with mild symptoms are around and do not think they have contracted the coronavirus.”

These are epidemiological data which we have to know and which will help us make decisions about the restrictive measures, when no more COVID-19 confirmed cases are reported, he added.

“The goal is to see how the virus has spread, what percentage may be asymptomatic and this information will help towards the end of the pandemic in order to make the right decisions on the gradual easing of restrictive measures, “ Karayiannis noted.

He pointed out that a targeted collection of samples will be made in hospitals, the National Guard and the police.

“We will worry about asymptomatic carriers when we no longer have reported cases with symptoms,” he said. When our curve reaches zero, we must make sure whether such people are moving among us, he noted, adding that this is why the government has decided to go ahead with a large sample collection in order to see what is going on, apart from Pafos and Aradippou, and elsewhere.

He continued saying that “we will have to think on how to deal with asymptomatic carriers when we decide to ease the measures.”
Karayiannis said that asymptomatic carriers are a worrying phenomenon, adding that 13% of confirmed COVID-19 cases so far has been asymptomatic.

“It concerns us even now because some of them may be hospitalized and cause a problem,” he said.

He did point out however that people with no symptoms do not transmit the virus as easily as someone with symptoms, as they don’t cough or sneeze. In order for a person with no symptoms to transmit the disease he would have to come to close contact with someone, to hug them and shake their hands. “It is more likely that such a person would transmit the disease to those close to him rather than to someone who is not in his circle,” he added.

According to studies, Karayiannis said, asymptomatic people, do not transmit the virus for a long period of time. They can transmit it for a period of about ten days and those who have the virus are likely to recover from it within 20 days, he added.

Referring to the random collection of 800 samples he explained that it is done “for statistical reasons, so that a statistical outcome which will be trustworthy will come out it.”

Source: CNA

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