VIDEO: Advertiser experiences antigen testing
A portion of tests this month go to Kuselo Youth and Childcare Services to help them raise money to buy their property
Mike van Wyk, the CEO of Medicare24, and his team took three Advertiser staff through the antigen testing process at their facility in North Rand Road, recently.
When we arrived, long queues of people were waiting to go through the process, which takes place in a tent set up in the parking area, but the queue moved quickly as the testing time per patient is quick.
Van Wyk explained many businesses send their staff for testing each week, especially those in industries with high volumes of staff, like manufacturing plants.
The entire process for the antigen testing took no longer than two minutes – from entering through a sanitising booth in which you have to raise your arms and close your eyes as you sprayed with sanitiser mist, to giving a healthcare assistant your personal details to fill in on your “corona test certificate”, to having the test and getting our result.
The surface antigen test is done using a nasopharyngeal swab (a method for collecting a clinical test sample of nasal secretions from the back of the nose and throat and it’s done with a long swab that resembles an earbud).
The experience is as uncomfortable as it sounds, but not painful as such (well, maybe a tiny bit).
In South Africa, antigen tests have been approved for use in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations and approved by the SA Health Products Regulating Authority (SAHPRA) for the use in diagnosing active Covid-19 cases.
A positive test result indicates a high viral load in the nasopharynx of an individual and will only be positive between day two and day 10 of after infection.
According to Medicare24, if symptoms persist a negative result (low viral load in the nasopharynx) needs to be confirmed using a SARS COV-2 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Other causes of false negatives are due to factors like technique applied while testing and expired stock.
“All our results, as with all other testing sites, are reported to the National Health Laboratory System,” van Wyk said.
Vaccine
The Boksburg Medicare24 facility, he added, is also going to be a vaccination site. They are waiting for further information from the government on the roll-out.
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“People need to realise the vaccine is not a guarantee you will not contract Covid-19. It will, however, provide you with between 65 and 70 per cent protection, which could mean the difference between becoming critically ill or not,” van Wyk said.
“You also can’t abandon all health and safety protocols after you’ve been vaccinated. Social distancing, wearing a mask and sanitising remain imperative to protect yourself and others against the virus.
“People will also need more than one vaccination.”
They have not had confirmation of any fee structures around the vaccinations but said the government has announced a R35 administrative fee.
“We are aligned with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the government’s view on the vaccine. Our message is ‘you need to take it, it is going to protect you from Covid-19’.” van Wyk said.
He believes there will be a third wave of the virus, around March/April.
“What we are experiencing with people coming for testing is that symptoms are constantly changing and that young people, aged between 19 and 24, are suffering complications if they contract the virus.
“Covid-19 is not only a medical disease. It is also a social and economic disease which is impacting everyone.
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“The biggest impact, I believe, has been on children psychologically. Their worlds have been turned upside down – everything from their social lives and friends to the way they learn and interact with their friends and families – many have lost loved ones to the virus, perhaps their first experience of a death in the family.
“Many children believe everyone who gets Covid-19 is going to die. It is a scary time for children and parents must keep talking to their children about the disease and what is happening around them to help them process and understand it better.”
Tests to help Kuselo
Medicare24 is donating R30 from each antigen test done at their facility on Saturdays and Sundays in February to help Kuselo Child and Youth Care Services raise the money needed to buy the house the facility is running from.
Amanda Coetzee, of Kuselo, said Medicare24 has been supporting them for over a year already with sponsoring the medical needs of children in their care.
She reiterated that while the cost of the house is R800 000 (valid until December), they aim to raise R1.5-million to cover extra costs, like fees and renovations to the property.
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