The health ministry and statistics
agency ISTAT are starting a survey of the seroprevalence of
infection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on Monday, May 25, in
collaboration with the Italian Red Cross.
Antibodies.
This will make it possible to see how many people in Italy
have developed antibodies to the novel coronavirus, even in the
absence of symptoms.
Tests on 150,000 People.
A sample of 150,000 people in 2,000 towns and cities, split
by sex, occupation and six age brackets, will be tested.
It will be possible to use the results of the survey, which
will be released in an anonymous, aggregated form, for other
scientific studies and for comparative analysis with other
European countries.
Reliable Results.
It is fundamentally important that the people selected to be
in the sample take part in order to have reliable, useful
results.
Participation is not obligatory, but, given the country's
epidemiological situation, everyone is needed.
Red Cross.
The people selected will be contacted via telephone by the
Italian Red Cross's regional centres to arrange an appointment
for a blood sample to be taken at one of the selected
laboratories.
The sample can be taken at home if the person is fragile or
vulnerable.
Questionnaire.
When contact is made, the person will also be asked to
respond to a specific questionnaire drafted by ISTAT, in
agreement with the CTS (Scientific Technical Committee).
Positive Tests.
The regional government will inform each participant residing
in their territory of the result of the test.
If the test is positive, the person in question will be put
temporarily into isolation at home and will be contacted by the
regional health service or the local ASL health authority to do
a nasopharyngeal swab to verify whether they are contagious.
Privacy.
The participants' privacy will be respected throughout the
survey.
Identification Number.
All the individuals taking part will be assigned an anonymous
identification number in order to be able to obtain the result
of the test.
The link between this identification number and the
individual will be managed by the survey's working group and it
will only be revealed to authorized bodies.
Advert.
An advert about the survey will screened on all of State
broadcaster RAI's network and posters will be put up in
pharmacies and drugstores, thanks to the collaboration of
Federfarma and FOFI, the federation of Italian pharmacist
guilds.
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