Monday 01 Mar 21
The study is carried out by researchers from Rigshospitalet, the Capital Region of Denmark’s Emergency Medical Services, and Hvidovre Hospital, and it is approved by the Danish National Committee on Health Research Ethics (NVK) and the Danish Data Protection Agency.
New study will clarify which COVID-19 test method is most appropriate in connection with mass testing of the Danish population. DTU is responsible for the analyses.
The government has made it clear: More testing for corona is needed to be able to reopen parts of society. This means that all Danes have to get used to being tested significantly more often than has been the case so far.
Corona testing twice a week is a core element of the government’s strategy for reopening society. Of course, this requires that people are willing to be tested. Among other things, the authorities have approved a new quick test, which—unlike the one we know—only needs to be inserted two to three centimetres into the nose.
“More less invasive test methods are being developed at an incredible pace. A lot of people have been calling for that. They are as precise as the ones we’re used to,” Minister for Health Magnus Heunicke said.
A large-scale study will now clarify whether the new tests are equally effective and whether they can be replaced by a less invasive saliva sample – as well as which of the three test methods citizens prefer.
All samples are analysed in the same way at the Centre for Diagnostics DTU
Helene Larsen
"Both saliva samples, throat, and nose samples undergo a uniform treatment and the same type of PCR analysis."
The study, involving 14-18,000 citizens, is the largest of its kind and, of course, requires the capacity to conduct tests and analyse the samples. In practice, this is done by offering citizens who have booked a test at the Capital Region of Denmark’s Emergency Response COVID-19 Test Centre in Valby and Taastrup to be included in the study. Here, they will have three samples taken shortly after each other—a saliva sample, a throat swap, and a nasal swap. The test material is then sent for separate PCR examinations at the Centre For Diagnostics DTU.
“All samples—i.e. saliva samples, throat, and nose samples—undergo a uniform treatment and the same type of PCR analysis that we use today to analyse the known throat swaps. This allows the three test methods to be compared and evaluated,” says Helene Larsen, Head of Development at the Centre for Diagnostics DTU.
In connection with the spread of the corona pandemic last year, the Centre for Diagnostics converted most of the laboratory facilities to primarily deal with analysis of COVID-19 samples and has delivered close to 1 million test results that have been included in the ongoing corona monitoring.
Should give the authorities better conditions
“With this knowledge, the authorities will hopefully be better at planning a diversified test strategy in which citizens with symptoms or close contact with infected people will be tested with high diagnostic reliability, while in the case of mass screening of citizens, a cheaper testing method with less discomfort can be chosen to ensure high turnout for the test programme,” says Tobias Todsen, a doctor in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and Audiology at Rigshospitalet and responsible for the study together with Nikolai Kirkby who is Laboratory Head at the Department of Clinical Microbiology.
