ANTIGENIC TEST. From October 15, the antigenic Covid test will become payable if you want to do a “comfort” test. At what price ? The answers.
[Mis à jour le 7 octobre 2021 à 14h20] The free antigenic Covid test, it’s over! At least in part. In effect from October 15, the end of free testing still had one unknown, the price. As announced by Franceinfo this Thursday, October 7, you will have to pay 22 euros if you do a test in a laboratory, 25 euros and even 30 euros if you take the test in a pharmacy.
Be aware that antigenic tests will still be free after a doctor’s prescription or if the person is vaccinated. In addition, all screening for minors will be covered by health insurance. In short, the measure aims to encourage even more vaccination, screenings every three days being necessary to have a health pass in the event of absence of vaccination.
Currently, there are three antigenic tests authorized by the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) in France:
- the nasopharyngeal antigen test performed by healthcare professionals, and used in addition to other existing tests. It has been widely available in the country since September 2020. The swab method is the same as for RT-PCR tests.
- the nasal antigen test (made by professionals) and l” nasal antigen self-test (carried out by the person himself) requires a much shallower sample, and therefore not very invasive. Both models have been available in pharmacies since March 2021. Initially reserved for over 15s, they have become accessible to children April 26.
A Covid-type antigen test is a device capable of detecting antigens, that is, certain characteristic proteins produced by Sars-CoV-2 in the human body. Its main advantage is the rapid availability of results, provided in less than 30 min. This makes it possible, if necessary, to immediately implement isolation and tracing measures. However, its level of reliability does not reach that of the RT-PCR test, and cannot replace the latter. This is why the antigen test is not considered as a diagnostic tool, but as a “diagnostic orientation tool”. Moreover, in the event of a positive test, it must be supplemented immediately by a PCR test for confirmation.
It depends on the antigen test. Certain tests, such as the nasopharyngeal model, must be carried out by health professionals: doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory assistants, rescuers, etc. These will rather be done in offices or offices, even if a home trip remains possible for people who cannot move. As for the nasal self-test, it can be performed anywhere and at any time, by the person themselves or by a loved one by following the instructions for use.
Although nasal and nasopharyngeal antigen tests are a priori available in all pharmacies, pharmacists are not obliged to carry out screening at the pharmacy. If they are volunteers, the test is then carried out in a few seconds by pharmacists, pharmacy assistants or students who have completed their first year in pharmacy. To find out if your pharmacy is one of the screening locations, consult the COVID screening card in line.
For the pharmacy tests, it is not necessary to have an appointment. For tests in a medical laboratory, you should request an appointment by calling the screening location: the number is provided with the screening locations on the card mentioned above.
Antigenic tests can be carried out without a prescription, and are covered by Social Security until mid-October 2021. Indeed, the government spokesperson, Gabriel Attal, announced Wednesday August 11 that the screening tests of coronavirus, which includes antigenic tests, which will be carried out without a medical prescription will become payable from “mid-October”. And for good reason, “the repeated tests do not prevent going to the hospital and strongly contaminating”, he justified, at the same time returning the recalcitrant to the vaccine against the coronavirus at their own choice: ” By mid-October, everyone will have had time to organize themselves and take responsibility, we are also taking our own. “
From Friday, October 15, 2021, antigenic tests will become chargeable (with exceptions). If they are carried out in a laboratory, it will cost 22 euros. Pharmacies, the price will be displayed at 25 euros in weeks and could climb to 30 euros on Sundays in pharmacies.
The presentation of a negative antigenic test for Covid is one of the documents authorized in the health pass in France and in Europe for travel. All RT-PCR and antigenic tests generate proof as soon as the result is entered by the healthcare professional in SI-DEP, which can be printed directly and which is also made available to the patient via an email and an SMS to go to the recover on the SI-DEP portal.
“The antigen tests are less sensitive, detecting subjects in the contagious phase of the infection where the viral load is higher, but bypassing the early infections so that subjects detected negative early in the infection may be contagious in the following three days “had explained the Scientific Council in November 2020 before the HAS in turn confirms that” antigenic tests are a little less sensitive than RT-PCR tests “. “The test used must have a clinical sensitivity greater than or equal to 80% to limit the number of false negatives, a threshold also retained by the World Health Organization, and a clinical specificity greater than or equal to 99% to ensure that the positive cases are indeed cases of COVID-19 and not other seasonal respiratory viruses “had also specified the HAS.
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