Status: 12/22/2020 8:35 a.m.
Do a quick test before Christmas and then go to relatives or friends with a good feeling that you are not infected with Corona? The Hamburg health authority urges caution.
There are more and more providers of corona rapid tests in Hamburg – and the demand is great. But does it make sense to get tested for Christmas or is it too early? Martin Helfrich from the health authority says: Nobody should feel too safe with such a test.
AUDIO: Martin Helfrich: “Do not carry out rapid tests yourself” (1 min)
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Helfrich: Corona rapid tests are just a snapshot
“Rapid tests only offer a statement about the time of the test,” says Helfrich. Anyone who has other contacts afterwards could have been infected there. “Above all, you shouldn’t carry out the rapid test yourself, because each rapid test can only give as much information as the sample has been professionally taken.” You most likely couldn’t do that with yourself.
Many providers are busy before Christmas
But many providers no longer offer appointments before Christmas. The private provider, who offers gargle tests on Spielbudenplatz, is already booked out until after Christmas. The test center of the Red Cross in Hamm will only have free capacity again after the holidays.
Some doctors still offer tests on private account, but it is also difficult for general practitioners to get appropriate rapid tests, according to the medical association. In the commercial test center at the airport, demand is particularly high in the afternoons and evenings, according to a spokeswoman.
Further information
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