LEAD Horizon: How Vienna gargles out of lockdown

Success model of the PCR testing system in Vienna could be rolled out worldwide

With the initiative "everything gargles" Vienna got through the pandemic better in comparison to other European cities. Every day, up to 70.000 people participate in the simple gargle PCR testing to inquire their Covid-19 status. Following the example of Vienna, low-threshold access to PCR tests could also be rolled out in other countries and especially in schools.

Get free test kits from the store, gargle, put it back in the package, bring it to the nearest store and find out the test result within 24 hours. Since January these PCR tests have been part of the Viennese everyday life. The Austrian company LEAD Horizon developed the high-quality PCR test using a throat rinsing fluid and a web app.

The World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control also draw attention to the effectiveness of these gargle tests: They place the saliva sample as equivalent to a nasopharyngeal swab - especially when screening asymptomatic individuals. "Saliva sampling is easy, non-invasive and self-conducted, but it is also proven to be more accurate than antigen testing", says Dr. Christoph Steininger, virologist, infectiologist and internist at the university hospital in Vienna and co-founder of LEAD Horizon.

Due to the uncomplicated handling and the more precise results in comparison to antigen nose swab tests, school projects are currently running in Austria and Slovakia. Based on the success model in Vienna, LEAD Horizon developed a specific software for schools in order to be able to master this challenge from autumn onwards.

Detailed information, pictures, video: www.minc.at/how-vienna-gargles-out-of-lockdown/, www.allesgurgelt.at, https://youtu.be/rQ3BiXfKVUE

About LEAD Horizon

LEAD Horizon is an Austrian company that was founded by Assoc.-Prof. med. Christoph Steininger and Michael Putz. Together with business partners, they have developed the patent-pending personalized self-test set for determining Covid-19 using a throat rinsing fluid and under the guidance of a web app. With this PCR testing, they offer a suitable solution for carrying out a large number of tests in a low-threshold, time-saving and convenient way. www.lead-horizon.com

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