Do I get an antigen test before Christmas Eve?

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The time par excellence of reunions, dinners and after-dinner hours with the family has arrived.

And it is that as in that advertisement that was repeated every year on television (

), everyone who can come home for Christmas.

But there is a possibility that we will not return alone and at Christmas Eve dinner there will be an unexpected and unwanted guest: the

.

If you have thought about the possibility of taking some type of test before the family reunion, I invite you to continue reading.

At home they will not ask for your

to enter, but let's be responsible and make dinner a safe place for everyone.

Should I take a test before dinner?

At this stage of the pandemic, we already know that even if there are no symptoms compatible with Covid-19, and even if one is vaccinated with a full schedule, there is the possibility of having been infected and testing positive.

It is true that vaccinated people infect less, but if we are going to spend several hours sharing a table and tablecloth with

(with low defenses, advanced age, multiple pathologies ...), in a poorly ventilated environment and most likely without a mask, it is advisable to do it.

More if we take into account the ease of acquiring one and its low price.

What type of test to choose?

For price, speed, comfort and reliability, the most recommended is undoubtedly the

.

It is true that PCR is more reliable, but the result takes hours, we need to go to a clinic to take samples and the price is higher.

The one that we should never choose is the antibody test

, the blood drop test, since it will not help us to know if we have Covid-19 or not before going to dinner.

When is it preferable to do it?

As close as possible to the moment of the reunion.

Do not do it with everyone already seated at the table and just before the appetizers leave the kitchen, it would not make sense.

It would be advisable to do it before leaving home, and if the result is negative, go straight to dinner without going to the bar.

If on the contrary it is positive, take something out of the refrigerator for dinner because it stays at home.

If negative, is it 100% reliable?

A negative result in an antigen test gives peace of mind, but

.

After coming into contact with the person who infects us, there is a window period in which, despite having been infected, we will not give positive in the test.

This happens because the virus is still beginning to multiply in our airways.

Where do I buy the test?

In a pharmacy.

I do not recommend that you purchase it from any website or unauthorized points of sale (I have seen antigen tests for sale in a hairdresser), since nothing guarantees that it is not a fake.

Since their sale without a prescription was approved in our country, last July, they have been progressively falling in price and currently we can buy them for a price that ranges between 3 and 6 euros.

Are they really reliable?

The tests that we currently have on the market in Spain, the second generation ones,

.

Remind them that sensitivity is the ability to detect a positive for coronavirus and specificity refers to the ability to rule out negative cases.

They are, therefore, a more than acceptable option.

Antigen tests, are they useful for the omicron variant?

Yes. If we have been infected with the omicron variant, the antigen test will be positive as with the alpha, delta or any other.

What it will not tell us in any case is with which variant we have been infected since they do not discriminate between them.

To know which variant it is, we would have to do a PCR.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

• Science and Health

• Coronavirus

• Covid 19

• Omicron variant

Coronavirus: Two studies warn of the danger of reinfection with the omicron variant

Health UK announces that it will offer the third dose to all adults before the end of January

Vaccines for minors will not arrive before the second half of December

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