A general antibody test will soon start in Västmanland.
For months now, it has been possible to test for active covid-19, but now you should also find out if the body has developed any immunity after the disease.
Few Västmanlanders with antibodies
SVT Nyheter Västmanland has received criticism from within the region where the antibody tests are criticized for being carried out at all.
But the question is sensitive and no one dares to come forward with names.
Very few people in the county will have antibodies and the testing consumes a lot of resources, partly in the form of money, but also staff.
These resources would be needed to handle the testing for active covid-19 (so-called PCR) which has been subjected to great pressure.
Åke Tenerz, the region's chief of staff, agrees that most people in Västmanland will not have detected antibodies.
However, he believes that the work with antibody tests did not negatively affect PCR testing.
- These are different machines and systems.
We have not been able to do fewer PCR tests because we are investing in antibodies, he says.
High pressure
In Västmanland, the spread of infection has not occurred to the same extent as in, for example, Stockholm and Sörmland.
These regions have introduced antibody tests for some time, but in the rest of the country there are still several regions that, like Västmanland, have been waiting.
The pressure on the regions has been high to test the population, partly from the state and also in public opinion.
This has resulted in work where critical issues from within have not been taken seriously, according to criticism from SVT's source.
And Åke Tenerz can understand that the usefulness of the tests can be questioned.
Have you been pressured to introduce this?
- Citizens want it.
We do this because there is a desire for it and an interest in the population, he says.
In the clip, you will hear more about the region's investment in antibody tests and why they are being introduced.