In its recommendations for spending the holidays taking as little risk as possible in the context of the fifth wave of Covid-19, the government recommends that the French be tested before family reunions. PCR tests, antigens, self-tests, etc. There is a variety of screening options to choose from depending on your situation. France Bleu has listed the different options available to you in this article.
To optimize the usefulness of this test, health authorities recommend doing it 24 hours before the family reunion, or even the same day. Everyone will therefore want to be tested at the same time, which is why the self-tests have been very popular for a few days. To the point of becoming a rare commodity. Particularly recommended by the Scientific Council during this festive period, self-tests are sold out in pharmacies in France and some are out of stock.
This is particularly the case in Orléans in the Loiret. Jean-Marc Franchi, co-president of the Loiret pharmacists’ union, explains that “the wholesalers no longer have any, there is a national rupture“. Same situation in Guéret in the Creuse where this pharmacist has been out of stock since last Saturday.”We sold in one day what we had sold in two months so far!“, the person in charge is surprised.
Sales have doubled since spring
For Gilles Bonnefond, president of the Union of Community Pharmacists Unions (USPO), the French have listened to the government’s instructions and it is felt. “Currently, pharmacists sell 80,000 self-tests per day, which is twice as many as last spring. There are therefore tensions in the territory but there are still stocks“, he asserts. On December 17th, the French bought 200,000 tests during the day,”which means that there are still stocks but there is not everywhere“, adds Gilles Bonnefond. Some pharmacists should be delivered Wednesday or Thursday.
Wholesalers should be able to keep pace, the spokesperson said, and everyone should be able to get their hands on the products by Christmas Eve. “But on condition that the French play the game, warns Gilles Bonnefond. It should be remembered that the self-tests must be used by people without symptoms, who are not in contact. We realize that this is not necessarily respected in pharmaciesThe president of the USPO also calls on the French not to stock the self-tests and to buy only those which they need for Christmas, even if it means going back to his pharmacist the following week for New Year’s Eve.
Observe the instructions for use
Gilles Bonnefond also calls on self-test users to properly apply the instructions for use. “Since the swab is less inserted into the nasal cavity than during a PCR or antigen test, less virus is therefore collected. But the test remains reliable if it is performed well, i.e. around 70%“, he underlines. He also advises to carry out the self-test the same day of the family reunion.
This is the main reason why it is firmly against the sale of self-tests in supermarkets, which certain players in the mass distribution are calling for. “It is necessary to provide explanations to users, by health professionals, and in particular not to recommend it for people who have symptoms, it is not the supermarkets that do this“.
The president of the USPO also reminds French people who cannot find self-tests, that it is obviously always possible to carry out an antigen test or PCR. Even if here too, you sometimes have to be patient to find an appointment. According to Gilles Bonnefond, there were 6.3 million tests performed last week, including 3.3 million antigenic tests.