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The number of coronavirus infections in Poland is growing very dynamically. In recent days, the Ministry of Health has informed about approx. cases per day. According to experts, the actual scale of infections is 3-10 times greater. We are running far too few tests for the virus. MZ says that free tests are available from every family doctor. However, the reality is different. If someone wants to test for COVID-20, there is mainly a paid option.
- On July 22, the Ministry of Health informed about over 3 coronavirus infections
- The number of patients in hospitals has also been growing for several weeks
- When it comes to testing for the virus, the rules from the time when the “end of the pandemic” was announced still apply.
- People who report infections to doctors are very rarely referred for PCR tests.
- More important information can be found on the TvoiLokony home page
There are no free virus tests
On April 1, which is the day when the “end of the pandemic” took place, the possibility of universal free testing for the presence of coronavirus in swab points, laboratories and pharmacies disappeared. Thus, the possibility of online registration for such a test disappeared. The service was turned off on March 30 at 12.00.
Testing for coronavirus has ceased to be financed by the National Health Fund, so doctors have ceased to officially diagnose COVID-19 patients who have fever or symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections.
Since then, family doctors have not ordered PCR tests (only these go to the official statistics of the Ministry of Health), they can only be quick antigen tests.
The ministry does not see the need for testing
While the infection numbers are rising, the recommendations from a few months ago remain valid. So “there is no need to massively test patients for coronavirus before visiting a primary health care clinic, a specialist doctor’s office or in a hospital before a scheduled surgery”.
Antigen tests are performed in health care centers, a PCR test may be ordered by a doctor before admission to hospital, if he deems it necessary. This mainly concerns infectious and oncological facilities.
The Ministry of Health maintains its position from a few weeks ago. The head of the ministry, Adam Niedzielski, said then that «until the occupancy in hospitals does not exceed approx. hospitalization, there will be no return to mass testing ».
The ministry emphasizes that the decision regarding possible testing rests with the doctor. – Widespread testing is targeted at those who need to be cared for. Testing depends on the doctor’s indication. If the doctor does not see the need to refer the patient to the test, the minister of health does not see him, because it is the doctor who assesses the patient’s health. – said the spokesman of the Ministry, Wojciech Andrusiewicz, during the press briefing on July 11.
On July 21, during a press conference, Deputy Minister Waldemar Kraska also spoke about the lack of need for more frequent testing.
“We have explained it many times that the WHO did not recommend such testing, and we followed that recommendation,” he said. – Free tests are available from any GP. We can do it when in doubt. Tests are also available in every emergency room, in every hospital emergency department – added the deputy minister.
What does testing look like in practice?
The physicians and virologists are divided over the area of universal testing. According to some, such as prof. Krzysztof Pyrć, there are other ways to minimize the effects of the new wave.
However, to properly estimate the number of new infections, we should test much more often. Some analysts believe that the actual scale of infection is 10-20 times greater.
– With a thousand infections, we can talk about 18-20 thousand. real cases – said Dr. Franciszek Rakowski from the Center for Mathematical and Computational Modeling at the University of Warsaw some time ago in an interview with Gazeta.pl.
Wiesław Seweryn, a programmer and analyst, who regularly publishes detailed charts and simulations based on official data of the Ministry of Health, also draws attention to this.
“There are six times less tests performed than a year ago,” he wrote recently.
It is worth recalling the words of Deputy Minister Kraska once again. «Free tests are available from every family doctor» – he assured.
How does it look in practice? We hear from many sources that people who report infections to doctors are very rarely referred to PCR tests. Even serious ailments do not put the medics to it.
Similar voices can also be found on Twitter.
«Do you know what testing looks like in practice? Patient with pneumonia, fever, shortness of breath. Five days hospitalized. Hospital, HED, previously POZ – no one ordered the test. When asked about the C19 test, the doctor’s answer »what will it give you« »- wrote one of the users.
If someone feels the need to test, the path is private.
You will do the COVID-19 test privately
PCR tests, as well as fast antigen (nasopharyngeal) and serological tests from blood, are now easiest to do with your own money. However, this is not a cheap service. Nothing has changed in this area since the beginning of the pandemic.
In private laboratories or private medical care networks, we will pay for an antigen test from PLN 100 upwards. The costs of PCR tests start from PLN 300. The pharmacies also offer quick plate tests (including antigen tests), the price of which is around PLN 30.
Don’t give up on testing! Whenever you suspect a coronavirus infection, take a COVID-19 Rapid Test – an antigenic self-monitoring test. You can buy it on Medonet Market at a promotional price.
You can buy a COVID-19 test at a pharmacy
You can also buy antigenic tests for self-detection of coronavirus in pharmacies, sometimes they are available in some stores.
These are usually rapid tests to detect the SARS-CoV-2 antigen (within a few days of the onset of symptoms) by nasal or throat swabs. We get the result from a few to several minutes.
In the past, such tests cost several dozen zlotys, now you can find models that cost only a dozen zlotys.
As the manufacturers emphasize, home testing “should not be used as the sole method of diagnosing or ruling out an infection”. However, nowadays, when there is no quarantine or isolation, there are no recommendations to verify the result by PCR testing in healthcare facilities or collection points. Perhaps as the next wave of infection returns, these rules will change again.
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