Greece: From Tuesday, self-diagnosis tests in pharmacies

The handover of self-examination tests to the pharmacies of Attica and Thessaloniki is expected to be completed during Tuesday, the first areas where they will become available to residents of Greece, and by the end of the week they will be available to all citizens of the country.

On Saturday, April 3, the first batch of tests arrived in Greece with about one million samples, which, according to the authorities, “will make a significant contribution to the fight against the spread of the coronavirus.”

When will self test kits be available?

The challenge for pharmacists is to have self-test devices delivered to 11,000 pharmacies across the country by the end of the week. However, the start will be made in two major urban centers, with pharmacies prioritizing students and teachers, who will be the first to conduct self-tests on Wednesday, and will be available in other regions of the country on Friday.

Self-test is mandatory for students and teachers.

Teachers and students are required to take a self-test once a week. Otherwise, students will not be able to attend classes.

In addition, retail and tourism employees are required to use the self-test, and thereafter, it will continue to be provided free of charge to all other citizens between 18 and 67 years old. The last in line will be people over 67 years old, since a very significant percentage of citizens of this age have already been vaccinated.

Every resident of Greece who is insured in the social insurance system is entitled to receive a self-test kit weekly, four times a month for two consecutive months. Tests can be obtained from the pharmacy upon presentation of the AMKA number. Parents conduct self-tests for minor children.

Where will the self-test take place?

The self-test should not be done at the pharmacy, but at home. As for students, they must do this 24-48 hours before attending school, and the result must be announced on the electronic platform selftesting.gov.gr (at the time of publication, the site did not work). Those who test positive must undergo a molecular test. These tests can be done at your nearest medical or diagnostic center. The truth is already for the money. However, other options are being considered.

How are self tests done?

Disinfect your hands and lower the mask. Insert a Q-tip into your nose about 4-5 cm. Rotate 5-6 times and repeat the same for the other nostril. Open the bottle with the liquid contained in the self test package and dip a cotton swab into it. Hold the sample in it for about 15 seconds, “stirring”. Then, holding a cotton swab in the middle, remove it from the bottle. Then we throw it into a special bag (not into the trash bin!). Let’s open the next one-time package, where the self test itself is located (on which the result will be visible). From a bottle with liquid, apply 4 drops into the first hole of the self test plate. We throw the used materials into a special bag, and only then into the trash can.

How to “read” the self-test result
After about 15 minutes, the self-test result appears. If you see one line, then the result is negative. If two are positive. In case of a positive result, the citizen will need to additionally do a coronavirus test at a medical facility in order to confirm or deny the results of the self-test.

Disinfect your hands and lower the mask. Insert a Q-tip into your nose about 4-5 cm. Rotate 5-6 times and repeat the same for the other nostril. Open the bottle with the liquid contained in the self test package and dip a cotton swab into it. Hold the sample in it for about 15 seconds, “stirring”. Then, holding a cotton swab in the middle, remove it from the bottle. Then we throw it into a special bag (not into the trash bin!). Let’s open the next one-time package, where the self test itself is located (on which the result will be visible). From a bottle with liquid, apply 4 drops into the first hole of the self test plate. We throw the used materials into a special bag, and only then into the trash can.

How to “read” the self-test result
After about 15 minutes, the self-test result appears. If you see one line, then the result is negative. If two are positive. In case of a positive result, the citizen will need to additionally do a coronavirus test in a medical institution in order to confirm or deny the results of the self-test.

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