SPAIN'S headcount has risen to its highest figure in history – for the first time ever, the population has broken the 48 million barrier.
Universities offer free fast-track Covid tests to young adults under 30 - including non-students
21/01/2021
UNIVERSITIES are starting to carry out fast-track antigen tests on adults from age 18 and under 30 in a bid to slow the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus after reports revealed that older teens and young adults were most likely to pass the condition to others because of not realising they were infected.
The Epidemiological Vigilance Network, part of the General Directorate of Public Health in Spain recently produced data showing that the most rapidly-rising sector of the population testing positive despite having no symptoms was the 15-29 age group.
This is partly because they are more likely to have to be in contact with larger numbers of people than older adults, through school, college, university, or work in jobs that typically, in the early stages of their life in the labour market, would not normally permit home-working and are more likely to be in manual or lower-skilled positions – not necessarily through choice, but because they have less experience as an employee and, whatever their qualifications, have a more difficult time gaining access to higher-skilled rôles.
Younger children appear at present, for reasons not yet clarified, to have a lower rate of contagion than adults and older teenagers, despite also having much larger contact groups due to being in school.
Unfortunately for the 15-29 age group cited, society's knee-jerk reaction is to blame them for heavy socialising in crowds – partying without practising social distancing or wearing masks – but this is not necessarily the case; many 'illegal' parties featuring risky practices broken up by police in the past few weeks have been among older adults, in their 30s or 40s, not just among youths.
Older teens and younger adults not only, typically, face a higher risk of becoming infected – even though, in general, the risk to their life and health if they catch the virus is lower – but also the added stigma of being 'blamed' for 'causing the spread' through 'boozy parties', an assumption more likely to be made about students.
The free-of-charge tests at universities will help stop the stigma as well as the spread.
At present, only seven higher education institutions, all in the Greater Madrid region, are performing antigen tests, but it would seem likely that the idea will catch on elsewhere in Spain as a result.
An antigen version is typically used as a 'peace-of-mind' test, for people who want to 'prove they are negative' for their own sake and to reassure anyone they come into contact with, but they are not recommended for people with symptoms consistent with Covid-19 as a positive result does not provide enough detail about viral levels and other factors which is needed to be able to treat them successfully.
Antigen tests are, therefore, much cheaper, and results come through very quickly.
Using the same method as a PCR – taking a nasal or throat swab, or both – the paper strip on the test changes colour in the same way as a pregnancy test, indicating a positive or a negative.
Normally, 'negative' or 'positive' will start to appear right away, but testers will leave them to 'develop' for between 10 and 30 minutes to be absolutely sure.
Testing via universities is being carried out Monday to Friday from 09.00 to 21.00, except between 14.00 and 16.00, at different campuses each day – when applying for an appointment, the testee will be told which campus to attend on the day.
Candidates do not have to be students at any university to be able to apply – they only need to be within the correct age bracket, of 18 to 29.
Appointments should be requested via the website Comunidad.madrid/servicios/salud/covid-19-test-antigenos-jovenes, and confirmation will be sent by email or to the mobile phone number provided.
Results are then sent to or given to the testee 15 minutes after providing the sample.
Today (Thursday, January 21), tests are being carried out in the sports centre at the Vallecas South Campus of Madrid Polytechnic; tomorrow (Friday) they will move to the Palmira Pla Auditorium at Getafe's Carlos III University and the Gala Pavilion at the University of Alcalá; next Monday's tests will be conducted at the sports hall on the Cantoblanco Campus of Madrid Autonomous University and the Almudena Sports Pavilion at the Complutense University.
Later venues will be released over the next week.
Tests will be running for three weeks to give as many young adults as possible, students or not, the chance to take up the offer.
So far, the scheme has received over 21,000 appointment requests, and has capacity for many more.
The above photograph shows Madrid's Complutense University (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Studies), by Luis García via Wikimedia Commons.
Related Topics
UNIVERSITIES are starting to carry out fast-track antigen tests on adults from age 18 and under 30 in a bid to slow the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus after reports revealed that older teens and young adults were most likely to pass the condition to others because of not realising they were infected.
The Epidemiological Vigilance Network, part of the General Directorate of Public Health in Spain recently produced data showing that the most rapidly-rising sector of the population testing positive despite having no symptoms was the 15-29 age group.
This is partly because they are more likely to have to be in contact with larger numbers of people than older adults, through school, college, university, or work in jobs that typically, in the early stages of their life in the labour market, would not normally permit home-working and are more likely to be in manual or lower-skilled positions – not necessarily through choice, but because they have less experience as an employee and, whatever their qualifications, have a more difficult time gaining access to higher-skilled rôles.
Younger children appear at present, for reasons not yet clarified, to have a lower rate of contagion than adults and older teenagers, despite also having much larger contact groups due to being in school.
Unfortunately for the 15-29 age group cited, society's knee-jerk reaction is to blame them for heavy socialising in crowds – partying without practising social distancing or wearing masks – but this is not necessarily the case; many 'illegal' parties featuring risky practices broken up by police in the past few weeks have been among older adults, in their 30s or 40s, not just among youths.
Older teens and younger adults not only, typically, face a higher risk of becoming infected – even though, in general, the risk to their life and health if they catch the virus is lower – but also the added stigma of being 'blamed' for 'causing the spread' through 'boozy parties', an assumption more likely to be made about students.
The free-of-charge tests at universities will help stop the stigma as well as the spread.
At present, only seven higher education institutions, all in the Greater Madrid region, are performing antigen tests, but it would seem likely that the idea will catch on elsewhere in Spain as a result.
An antigen version is typically used as a 'peace-of-mind' test, for people who want to 'prove they are negative' for their own sake and to reassure anyone they come into contact with, but they are not recommended for people with symptoms consistent with Covid-19 as a positive result does not provide enough detail about viral levels and other factors which is needed to be able to treat them successfully.
Antigen tests are, therefore, much cheaper, and results come through very quickly.
Using the same method as a PCR – taking a nasal or throat swab, or both – the paper strip on the test changes colour in the same way as a pregnancy test, indicating a positive or a negative.
Normally, 'negative' or 'positive' will start to appear right away, but testers will leave them to 'develop' for between 10 and 30 minutes to be absolutely sure.
Testing via universities is being carried out Monday to Friday from 09.00 to 21.00, except between 14.00 and 16.00, at different campuses each day – when applying for an appointment, the testee will be told which campus to attend on the day.
Candidates do not have to be students at any university to be able to apply – they only need to be within the correct age bracket, of 18 to 29.
Appointments should be requested via the website Comunidad.madrid/servicios/salud/covid-19-test-antigenos-jovenes, and confirmation will be sent by email or to the mobile phone number provided.
Results are then sent to or given to the testee 15 minutes after providing the sample.
Today (Thursday, January 21), tests are being carried out in the sports centre at the Vallecas South Campus of Madrid Polytechnic; tomorrow (Friday) they will move to the Palmira Pla Auditorium at Getafe's Carlos III University and the Gala Pavilion at the University of Alcalá; next Monday's tests will be conducted at the sports hall on the Cantoblanco Campus of Madrid Autonomous University and the Almudena Sports Pavilion at the Complutense University.
Later venues will be released over the next week.
Tests will be running for three weeks to give as many young adults as possible, students or not, the chance to take up the offer.
So far, the scheme has received over 21,000 appointment requests, and has capacity for many more.
The above photograph shows Madrid's Complutense University (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Studies), by Luis García via Wikimedia Commons.
Related Topics
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