- We do not want to risk getting the spread of infection in the hospitals again.

That is why we have chosen to do a broad testing during this week, says Pia Lundbom, Director of Health and Medical Care in Region Skåne.

Patients close to the patient must be tested

This applies to staff who move to hospitals, health centers or clinics who may in some way have contact with patients.

It may also be relevant to extend the mandatory rapid tests next week.

- We will look at how many we find and everyone who is found is also tested with a PCR test.

Then we evaluate and we will see how the outcome will be, says Pia Lundbom.

Prepared to use rapid tests

The corona pandemic has been going on for just over a year and it was not until December that SKR (Sweden's municipalities and regions) together with the government made a procurement where they could offer regions and municipalities co-financing for rapid tests.

- We built up a large capacity with tests, what we called staff sampling where everyone could go in who had symptoms.

We have ordered and have antigen tests, which is a little faster, it takes 15 minutes.

The staff will not be tested daily but only on the first day of a continuous work shift.

Is there not a risk of becoming infected during that time?

- When you have received your test answer, you know that you are negative then.

Then if you move in environments or do not keep your distance, there is a risk of becoming infected, so it is already today regardless of whether you test yourself or not.

At present, Region Skåne has no statistics on how many of the staff have tested positive.