Mayor Firea says first 500 Bucharesters to be tested on Wednesday within "Sunt imun la COVID" programme

The first 500 Bucharesters will be tested on Wednesday for COVID-19 antibodies within a programme meant to determine to which extent the novel virus has spread at the Capital level, General Mayor Gabriela Firea announced.

"So far, we have 2,000 persons enrolled. We launched the programme to see, on a scientific basis, how many people have already been infected, taking into account that extended testing is the only way to accomplish it. The testing process is safe, painless and adapted to sanitary rigors of this period - the medical personnel checks the temperature with a non-contact thermometer, wearing a protection mask. The doctor collects a drop of blood from the finger, after a previous disinfection, with a sterile disposable needle, using a method similar to the one for checking the glycemia in diabetic patients. In 15 minutes, each participant finds out whether they have antibodies, so, [they find out] if they had the infection and gained immunity to COVID-19," Firea mentioned, according to a release of the Bucharest City Hall (PMB).

The testing within the programme called "Sunt imun la COVID" ("I am immune to COVID") will take place on the National Arena. The online registration continues on https://assmb.ro/page/testareanticorpi.

According to the PMB, the persons tested within this programme, voluntarily, are inhabitants of the Capital, selected through the sampling method in a number proportional to the size of the district which they live in. The results will be found, at the end, in the study carried out by the "Professor Doctor Matei Bals" Institute of Infectious Diseases.

"The sampling method was drafted by the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET), in collaboration with the district city halls of the Capital," the release mentions.

The programme is carried out based on a collaboration between the "Matei Bals" Institute of Infectious Diseases, the PMB, the Administration of Hospitals and Medical Services Bucharest (ASSMB) and the six district city halls. The Capital City Hall, through the ASSMB, ensures, together with the district city halls, the logistic support of the testing: the acquisition of tests, the organization of the necessary space at the National Arena and the participation of the medical staff. Sanitation measures are taken at the end of each testing day.