The rapid test They've been part of our lives for a long time now. Almost from the very beginning of his adventure coronavirus. At first tentatively, then—and following the lifting of travel restrictions—with increasing urgency, and now—following the government’s new measures to monitor the unvaccinated—as a necessity.
Conducting these tests appears to be an absolute necessity, given that, certain segments of the population—each for different reasons—are required to undergo diagnostic testing in order to be able to proceed with or complete their activities.
The problem lies in the fact that, Many public institutions, following the new government measures, are not required to conduct diagnostic tests. This is also the directive for the hospital in Kythira. Inevitably, the burden falls on private facilities—that is, in the case of Kythira, on the pharmacies.
Here, too—as with public agencies—the situation remains unclear. Specifically, there is a recommendation from the Panhellenic Pharmaceutical Association, starting in early August, pharmacies are to conduct rapid test. But not necessarily. Given the optional nature of the arrangement, two of the island’s three pharmacies agreed to participate and, inevitably, bore the full brunt of the process. At the height of the tourist season, this pressure seemed unbearable.
That's how they felt about her, both the Manos Trifyllis in River, as well as the Efthymis Papaefthymiou, in Meadow. The situation became even more complicated when the first one left on leave for a few days. Inevitably, operations came to a standstill across the entire northern part of the island, while in the south, the Livadi pharmacy was «overwhelmed» by the influx of people seeking service.
«We ended up conducting nearly 100 tests a day,» Mr. Papaefthymiou told us during our phone conversation. He added, «The pressure was immense for days on end; we didn’t have enough space, and the infrastructure wasn’t designed for such a process. And on top of everything, we always had people showing up without appointments, which led to tense situations. I understand that. I understand them. We’re all going through a very stressful time. But we need a break, too.».
A lull that both healthcare professionals expect to come as a matter of course. The season is ending, and visitors are leaving. In addition, Mr. Trifyllis will resume his daily practice starting tomorrow, Thursday, September 23, from Monday through Saturday. The availability issue that was correctly pointed out by the tsirigofm, in an article dated September 14, 2021, no longer exists. Therefore, at least for now, everyone can breathe freely—or as freely as their protective masks allow.
Moving forward, and given that we do not know how the pandemic will unfold, it might be wise to explore alternative courses of action in case a similar situation arises in the future. What would happen, for example, if our two pharmacies refused—as is their right—to conduct diagnostic tests during the next crisis? As we’ve seen, the hospital does not perform rapid tests, and in the absence of other private facilities, the situation would become dangerously complicated.
In our effort to find the answers, we reached out to other island municipalities. A very interesting solution came to us from the Municipality of Amorgos. This small island in the southeastern Cyclades—half the size and population of Kythira—lacks the infrastructure needed to address the issue of rapid testing. It does not, however, lack foresight, as it has signed a contract with a microbiology laboratory from nearby Naxos and every week, a microbiologist’s assistant visits the facility, as he is assigned to this task. This is a contract that runs until the end of September, when the tourist season is expected to wind down, at which point the island’s pharmacy—which has so far been hesitant—may then take over.
Kythira is not located near Naxos or any other island. However, it is just a stone’s throw from the Peloponnese, to which it is connected by ferry. So, we could explore an additional alternative through potential collaboration with private individuals from Laconia. Ideas are there. We’re planning ahead. We’re being careful. So that we can make it happen.
