#TestCovid, a location for large-scale corona testing, will open next week at the Spoor Oost site in Antwerp. In the test village, 500 to 4,000 test samples can be taken per day, the city states. The project is specifically for people with no symptoms.
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Next week there will be a large test village with several test streets at Spoor Oost, a bit like a drive-in, where people can have a swab (nose wiper) taken. Depending on the need, the test village will be able to process 500 to 4,000 tests per day.
In the test village, only people without symptoms will be tested. Those who have symptoms of illness still need to see a doctor. Anyone who wants to be tested will also have to register on a website first.
At the same time, a new lab at UZ Antwerp, led by microbiology professor Herman Goossens, will process all samples. In this way, private labs and those of hospitals can continue to focus on samples from general practitioners and hospitals.
“The initiative is there to reduce the great pressure on the care circuit,” says the Antwerp ships Fons Duchateau (N-VA). Because many people without symptoms have themselves tested, Antwerp GPs, emergency services and existing labs are flooded. This situation needs reinforcement. ”
The test village is a collaboration between seven partners: the city of Antwerp, the GPs of Antwerp, Antwerp Network Hospital (ZNA), University of Antwerp, UZA, the Flemish agency for Care and Health and the federal public service for Public Health.
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