Antigen testing, Balearics

There are three types of test now available to the Balearic health service.

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma16/10/2020 16:14
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The Balearic health service has started using rapid antigen tests at primary health care centres. Once training has been completed, it is anticipated that these tests will be available at all health centres.

The government has ordered 850,000 rapid tests, 450,000 of which have so far been delivered. The tests have been introduced at two health centres in Majorca (Inca and Llucmajor), one in Minorca (Dalt Sant Joan) and another one in Ibiza (Es Viver).

The target population for these tests are patients with symptoms of no more than five days. The test allows for diagnosis when the viral load is at its greatest. The results are available in fifteen minutes, so these tests are very useful in allowing faster action to cut the chain of transmission. The tests detect antigens, specific proteins in the virus.

IB-Salut now has three types of test - the regular PCR test, which also detects viral load, the rapid antigen test, and the serological test, which detects the presence of antibodies.