The United States has approved the use of rapid COVID-19 tests prioritizing testing as many people as possible. Rapid testing has made it possible for the country to find 450,000 coronavirus infected cases.
The American administration has authorized the use of a testing machine called GeneXpert, that has been used to test for TB. The machine can deliver the test results in 45 minutes, and Albania is listed among eligible countries to purchase it.
This is not the only way for rapid tests. In a Euronews interview, the head of the Institute for Public Health (IShP) Albana Fico said that attempts to mimic the American way of testing are being made.
[…] There are several kits, they are rapid tests, they resemble pregnancy tests and you can get the results in 5-6 minutes. This test is being carefully considered.
However, Fico failed to specify what exactly the IShP would consider and what these tests are.
A regular COVID-19 test involves testing nasal or oral secretions that are retrieved via swab and the results need 12-24 hours to come in.
In over a month, the Albanian government has conducted about 3600 tests, averaging at around 100 tests per day.
The low rate of tests conducted has raised concerns and sparked debate between the government, the opposition, President Ilir Meta, as well as the COVID-19 Committee of medical experts that includes Fico.
Fico said that similar debates persist in other countries as well, and reiterated the opinion of the Committee that there is no sufficient reason to change the current testing strategy.
