Residents of the Roermond region who have or have had corona complaints can have their immune system tested for the coronavirus from the second half of May.
–
That is what the chairman Dorien van Doorn of the IMtest foundation, which carries out the immunity test, has said. After Kessel and the surrounding area, the Roermond region is the second Limburg region where the foundation will carry out immune tests.
Corona symptoms
“We want to use the test capacity as effectively as possible. That is why we mainly focus on people who have or have had corona symptoms,” explains Van Doorn. Common complaints related to Covid-19 are fever, shortness of breath, fatigue and a dry cough.
To request
“We have received quite a few applications from that region,” explains chairman Van Doorn about the decision to test within a radius of ten kilometers from Roermond. A test costs 70 euros. From the week of May 18, IMtest will be in Roerdalen one day a week to conduct immunoassays. In total, the foundation will go there for four consecutive weeks.
The foundation is currently conducting tests in and around Kessel. There, 853 residents registered for the immunoassay. According to IMtest, many residents of the Kessel region tested now have antibodies against the corona virus.
Also read: ‘Many Kessel strings have antibodies against coronavirus’
Report
“For the test at Roermond, people can report to the laboratory that examines the tests,” says Van Doorn. The laboratories of Innatoss from Oss carry out the research. “We then report the test location and schedule an appointment.” According to Van Doorn, it is not the intention that people who want to be tested come by unannounced.
Finger prick
An immune test shows whether someone has made antibodies against the coronavirus. In the first instance, people get a fingerstick and if it shows that antibodies have been produced, a second test follows: if the blood samples also show that there are antibodies, then according to IMtest it is clear that someone has had corona and is now immune is for.
Except in Kessel and soon in Roermond, IMtest performs immunoassays in Tilburg, Noord-Brabant, Son and Gemert, among others.
RIVM critical
RIVM does not support the test as performed by IMtest. “We do not recommend that people have their blood tested for the presence of antibodies against the new coronavirus themselves. This can give a sense of false security. We are currently investigating whether having antibodies also means that you can no longer get the virus and that you can no longer get sick from this. People with mild complaints may have fewer antibodies, which means that they are not fully protected against the virus “, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment on its website.
