When everyone in the staff at an operating ward at the University Hospital in Linköping was tested for corona, it turned out that half carried the infection - and a handful of them showed no or very mild symptoms, Ekot reported today.

The results of the test in Linköping have received a lot of attention and many are now asking how common it is that the corona virus without knowing about it - and if not all healthcare personnel, even symptom-free, should be tested regularly.

Not contagious if you are symptom free

In Kalmar, the focus is on testing the admitted patients in the first place and now also on the elderly. Testing entire staff groups in healthcare that do not show symptoms would be far too resource-consuming, says Per-Åke Jarnheimer, hygiene consultant and acting infection control physician at the county hospital in Kalmar.

In addition, he thinks it is unnecessary.

- Sampling for those without symptoms may not make much money. Should you have the virus, you will not be sent home for it. The healthcare staff is needed.

Thus, infected personnel must remain and work?

- We do not know who is infected because we do not take samples. But if we started trying, we would certainly meet a lot of infected. We believe that those who do not have symptoms, they are not very contagious, ”says Per-Åke Jarnheimer.