French pharmacies run out of Covid tests as cases soar
A vaccination campaign against Covid begins in France on October 14
Self-testing kits are the easiest and quickest way to check for Covid-19
Michele Ursi/Shutterstock
Pharmacies across France are reporting a shortage of Covid-19 self-testing kits after a boom in sales in recent weeks.
Up to 150,000 of the ‘auto-tests’ were sold last week following a surge in Covid-19 cases - many related to the new strain of the virus labelled ‘Frankenstein’ (see its symptoms here) - at the end of September.
This is a 33% rise on sales the week before and has left both pharmacists and suppliers unable to meet demand.
"We should receive a delivery in the coming days, but some suppliers are already out of stock, [and we are] waiting for them to restock,” Nantes pharmacist Alain Thouzeau told media outlet BFMTV.
Some of the purchases may be coming from people who are particularly exposed to the illness prior to the start of the vaccination campaign next week on October 14.
Take PCR test when possible
Self-testing kits are the easiest and quickest way to test for Covid-19.
They can be taken anywhere and provide a result within around 15 minutes.
However, they only have an accuracy rate of around 70%, meaning that three in every ten actually-positive tests could show as negative.
Therefore, it is recommended that where possible, or for the most accurate results, people should have a PCR test with a health professional.
These can be prescribed by a doctor following an appointment for Covid-19 symptoms, either at a medical laboratory or a pharmacy equipped with testing facilities.
Covid-19 cases surge
While demand for self-test kits was expected to increase as autumn began – the period when the disease begins to spread more easily – a large increase in new cases has contributed to the upsurge.
This variant, while not being more dangerous than former variants, is considerably quicker to spread, leading to the increase in cases.
More than 30,000 cases were recorded at the end of September, as the new ‘XFG’ or ‘Frankenstein’ variant – so dubbed as it is a mixture of several previous strains – continues to gain ground across the country.
French health authorities are expected to release more information on current levels in the coming days, which may give an update on the potential spread of the variant this winter.
Experts say the current vaccine scheduled to be used this winter is effective against the current strain.
