The first general medicine clinic for antigen testing opens in Neptune

by Federico Arancio
It was opened in Piazza Mazzini in Nettuno the first general medicine study for the semi-quantitative antigen test for the research of virus Sars-cov-2, soon one will also open Anzio.
In the study it is possible, for those who have been selected by doctors, i.e. for those who have been in direct contact with a positive person, those who are part of a cluster, those in quarantine or those who need to perform a control test, perform the rapid swab . It is important to specify that only asymptomatic subjects can swab in this study. This service certainly allows to shorten waiting times and to stem the spread of the virus by isolating positive patients who are currently asymptomatic.
We listened to the representatives of the general practitioners of Anzio and Nettuno, the Dr. Antonio Nigro and Dr. Maria Antonietta Caponi who have fully described the quick swab procedure and safety measures.
Doctor Nigro what is the purpose of this service that you make available to patients?
“It is a service of general practitioners organized through the Region and the Ministry of Health, which allows you to go and find those who are asymptomatic but who are actually spreading the virus, the patients we receive must still be selected, so they must have had direct contact with a positive or be part of a cluster for example at work – explains Antonio Nigro – this service allows us to go looking for the virus, to isolate the asymptomatic, and therefore to limit the infections. The quick swab is definitely not the cure for the covid, it gives us a snapshot of the moment, who is negative today, it is not certain that in a few days he will not be positivized “.

Doctor Caponi what is the procedure and how is the rapid swab done?
“First of all – replies the doctor from Neptune – I would like to say that the instrumentation was made available to us by the Region, there is a machine where we insert the test tube, in which we dipped the swab, which in a few minutes tells us if the patient is virus positive or negative. The procedure is performed in complete safety, we dress in disposable gowns, with double gloves, mask, splash shield and sanitize everything at the exit of each patient, whether it is positive or negative. To make the swab, the patient is made to sit on a chair, with the head backwards and the swab, after having partially lowered the mask, which will remain to cover the mouth, is inserted into the nose for a few times. It is an absolutely painless and risk-free process – concluded Dr. Caponi – if the patient is positive, the envisaged protocol will be started immediately, ie isolation, and the subject will be invited to make a molecular swab “.

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