OEC receives batch of rapid tests for Covid-19

In the last week, the first two thousand units of rapid tests ordered by OEC arrived in Brazil to be distributed among the active construction sites in the country. The goal is to apply the tests to all members who show symptoms, on the 8th day after they have started, and during the clinical screening to be carried out when the paralyzed works are resumed, when the period of sanitary restrictions imposed by the authorities ends. These two thousand units correspond to the first batch of a total order of seven thousand tests. The remaining 5,000 are expected to arrive between May and June.

According to Dr. Denize Lopes, from the Health Support area, when a person comes into contact with the virus, the body starts the production of antibodies as a defense mechanism. Rapid serological tests are immunological tests capable of detecting the levels of “IgM” and “IgG” antibodies in a patient’s blood sample. The test results are ready in 15 minutes and guide the clinical conduct to be established for each case.

The tests will be applied by professionals allocated to the Health Support areas of each contract, usually nursing technicians and nurses, under the supervision of an occupational physician. A protocol with guidelines for construction sites was developed and will guide the actions in each location for the members who eventually test positive for Covid-19.