Commercial tester does not help GGD, ‘tests are too unreliable’ | Inland

According to the spokesperson, the rapid tests used are 65 percent reliable. “If you test a hundred people, 65 of them will be found to have the coronavirus, while the other 35 may also be infected. We advocate PCR testing. They are 99.999 percent reliable and the price is the same. The result just takes a little longer.”

‘Under protest’

HealthCheckCenter has more than 120 test locations across the country, from Amsterdam to Maastricht and from Bergen op Zoom to New Amsterdam. The organization performs PCR testing, as well as antigen testing for Tests for Access. “Under protest,” the spokesman said. “We saw that this was necessary last year to get more freedoms, but we didn’t think it was the right way. You fight with inferior weapons, it was a nonsensical idea. We would rather convince the government to switch to PCR testing for this.”

GGD GHOR Nederland says in a response: “It is known that antigen tests are slightly less reliable than PCR tests, but they have been approved by the RIVM. Then we can start working with it, it is HealthCheckCenter’s own choice not to participate.”

GGDs at maximum

The GGDs are at their maximum. The health authorities are testing about 150,000 people a day and are unable to test more people because labs don’t have the space to analyze any more PCR test samples. That is why commercial testers will offer help with the other way of testing from the end of this week. The Open Netherlands Foundation, the organization behind the access tests, is now making an inventory of which test companies want to help.

—