Pharmaceutical company offers testing service (antigen tests) to hotels and restaurants.
BIOJAM, a company in the pharmaceutical industry, provides rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 and argues that this is one of the ideal solutions for testing customers whether in hotels or restaurants.
Antigen tests are diagnostic tools that allow the detection of possible COVID-19 infections in just 15 minutes, starting from the first 24 hours of contact.
"In terms of diagnosis itself, rapid antigen tests detect the surface antigens of the virus proteins. Although the sample collection procedure for diagnosis is identical, i.e., through a sample collected from the upper respiratory tract, via a swab, antigen tests have the greatest differentiation factor in being faster and more economical," explains Augusto Costa, technical director of the Biojam Holding Group.
You can learn more about antigen tests here.
Each test may cost between 20 euros to 30 euros and provides results in 15 minutes, an advantage compared to the cost of PCR tests, which can reach 100 euros, and results are typically known within a 48-hour period.
"The first wave of the pandemic and the imposed lockdown caused losses of profitability of over 90% in this tourism sector. This is a fragile sector, and as such, it is essential that companies in the sector, whether in hospitality or catering, play a more active role in controlling the pandemic, not only through the imposition of safety standards but also through the performance of rapid tests, capable of minimizing losses in this second wave, which is expected to be much more aggressive. Taking into account the recent guidelines issued by the DGS, antigen tests should constitute the first response in case of an outbreak. Therefore, any hotel or catering establishment that needs to quickly ensure the safety of all employees and customers who have been in contact with a possible COVID-19 case can and should perform antigen tests as soon as possible," explains the responsible party.
In terms of protocol, the most appropriate approach is always to immediately isolate the contacts at risk and perform tests without the need to impose quarantines, close establishments, or cease activities. To ensure a quick response and the swift return to activity of employees, Biojam offers a rapid screening service that can be requested for on-site testing or in clinics designated for this purpose.
"Despite being a relatively simple test, it is a 'Medical Device for In Vitro Diagnosis' that presupposes the collection of samples from the respiratory tract through the introduction of a swab into the nasal and/or throat passages. Therefore, it is a test that must be performed by a healthcare professional," says Augusto Costa.
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