FAQ

How do I get my certificate?

We send out all our travel certificates via email as a PDF file.

Many countries allow you to show the certificate on your mobile phone, but some countries require a paper copy, so we recommend everyone to print the certificate.

How do the tests work?

PCR TEST
A special sampling stick is taken and inserted at the back of the nose to the posterior pharyngeal wall. There the stick is rotated slowly for ten seconds against the mucous membrane. The sample is then sent to our safety laboratory for analysis. You will receive an answer and can pick up an English travel certificate at our clinic two working days later. The certificate is issued, stamped and signed by a licensed physician.

ANTIGENTEST
A special sampling stick is taken and inserted at the back of the nose to the posterior pharyngeal wall. There the stick is rotated slowly for ten seconds against the mucous membrane.
The test is then analysed on the spot and you are sent an answer.

ANTIBODY TEST
A simple prick of the finger. The blood is dropped into a test cassette and then travels along a membrane where up to three stripes may appear. C - means CONTROL. If it does not appear, the test is invalid and must be repeated. Then there are two more bars that may appear - one for IgM (acute antibodies) and one for IgG (memory antibodies). See "What are antibodies" under FAQ for interpretation.
If two or more streaks appear, it indicates an ongoing or past infection. The sampler will explain what this means for you.

Do I need a Bank ID to take the test?

No, you don't have to.

How secure are your tests?

PCR TEST
Our samples are sent to our safety laboratory. It is thus approved by the Public Health Agency for the diagnosis of COVID-19. The laboratory reports its data weekly to the Public Health Agency. All analyses are qRT-PCR, which means a quantitative analysis.
Sensitivity 99.9-100% - i.e. if you have Coronavirus in your sample, we will find it.

ANTIGENTEST
The antigen test we use is from American Abbott and has a very high specificity (>99.8%) and sensitivity (>91.4%). A positive antigen test can be confirmed with a PCR test as false positives can occur due to cross-reactivity with other viruses.

ANTIBODY TEST
We offer different types of antibody tests. We have laboratory tests which are the safest. Here we can measure Neutralising antibodies after vaccination and IgM/IgG after natural infection. For rapid tests we use cassettes from Egens or Healgen. Both tests meet the requirements of the Public Health Agency and have a sensitivity of >95% (common for IgM and IgG) and a specificity (in vitro) of >99.9%. This means that if you do not have antibodies, you will in theory almost never get a false positive. However, we have seen that the analysis of IgM is more uncertain for rapid tests and false positive responses occur much more frequently. For checking IgM, we recommend laboratory testing. For the control of IgG (memory antibodies) we recommend testing at the earliest 14 days after the onset of symptoms. All responses that are positive on rapid testing are recommended to be supplemented by a level determination, i.e. a laboratory test.
For checking antibody protection after vaccination, you can check your neutralising antibodies. This is an antibody that blocks the binding site between the virus and the host cell and inhibits the virus' ability to infect. We recommend taking the test two weeks after full vaccination. In practice, we have seen that many people develop a sufficient level of antibodies as early as 3-4 weeks after dose one.

I want to travel, when should I take the test?

Check with your country's embassy for information on how old the certificate can be when you arrive.

Then add 2h buffer after your arrival time, add on your travel time.

We recommend that you leave at least 6 hours from the time you receive the reply to your certificate until you have to travel.

Example: the certificate may be 72 hours old. Allow 2h buffer on arrival for passport control, luggage etc - 6h (example travel time) - 6h buffer before departure. If the response time on the certificate is 36h, you will need to test yourself at the earliest 70h before arrival (=72h minus 2h buffer) and at the latest 2+6+6+34 = 48h before arrival.

Are your certificates approved?

As a rule, travelling with our certificates is no problem.

Some countries, such as Haiti, French Polynesia and others, require the laboratory to use certain analytical fluids approved by them.

If there is such a specification, you must check that you can travel with our basis.

The certificates can be printed with a scanned stamp and signed by a doctor.

The certificates also contain a QR code that can be scanned at the airport to verify the certificate details online.

Can I have my certificate printed?

Yes, bring your digital certificate on your phone to any clinic and we can print and stamp it for you.

As a rule, this will be the day after you receive your digital certificate.

What are antibodies and how do you interpret the test results?

Antibodies are the targeting robots of the immune system. There are acute antibodies that are more non-specific (IgM) that are formed immediately when you start to have symptoms and memory antibodies (IgG) that start to form about 10 days into the infection and typically persist for anywhere from 6 months to several years. When a foreign virus or other microorganism infects us, the immune system creates these antibodies which, in this case, seek out the invading virus particles - attaching to them and thereby marking them for the immune system which then destroys the virus particles.

IgM is a non-specific antibody in nature and it is more non-specific than IgG. Compare a shotgun (IgM) with a precision rifle (IgG). IgM (the acute antibodies) should quickly contain the infection and then the body creates IgG which is very precise and stays in the body for a long time. IgG are the antibodies that make up our long-term protection, i.e. our antibody immunity.

The course of the infection is that you first become infected, then you have a 2-14 day incubation period before the onset of symptoms. Early in the disease phase (from day 3-5 to day 10-14 after the onset of symptoms), you thus become IgM-positive. IgM normally persists for 3-5 weeks (but can be present for a long time). Thus, when IgG starts to be produced on days 10-14, one is IgM and IgG positive until IgM disappears, at which point only IgG positivity remains.

Please note that this is the activity of the disease in the blood and does not describe whether you are infectious or not.

You are free of the disease when at least 7 days have passed since the onset of symptoms and you have been symptom-free for 48 hours.

An isolated positive IgM, indicating day 3-14 into the disease phase, in an asymptomatic individual, should always be checked by PCR to confirm/reject suspicion of ongoing infection. IgM may also persist long after illness, but the impact on immunity is not established.

A response that reveals both IgM and IgG in a person who is no longer symptomatic is interpreted in the same way as an isolated positive IgG - i.e. that long-term protection has developed.

According to the Public Health Agency, long-term protection lasts at least during this season, and the presence of IgG allows you to meet people in risk groups when you are symptom-free. As long as you are asymptomatic and have IgG, infection is considered unlikely.

You may be able to get Covid-19 again next season if the virus mutates or if the antibody protection wears off. There are reports of reinfection after 6 months in a number of individuals in Sweden. It is not clear how long immunity lasts at the population level.

We are a company that would like to send our employees to you, how do we do that?

Contact our customer service: info@idr-medical.se and they will help you to our corporate department.

How do rapid antibody tests work technically?

The blood is dropped onto a nitrocellulose test strip prepared with colloidal gold-labelled antigen. If antibodies are present, they form complexes between Ig and the colloidal gold-labelled antigen and are drawn up into the membrane by capillary force. At each IgM/IgG line, nitrocellulose-immobilised anti-human-mouse IgM/G antibodies are present, which bind to and form complexes with the antibody/colloidal gold antigen complex and a red line appears.

The uncaptured immune complexes migrate on and bind at the control line.

What is CE certification?

CE means that the test has been examined by a European authority, ensured that it meets standards to be sold and have free movement within the EU. A CE-certified medical device is under the control of the Medical Products Agency and can be sold freely on the Swedish market.

When will I get my PCR test results?

PCR test results are always available in the evening - before 11pm the day after you have performed the test, regardless of weekends, bank holidays or weekdays.
If you have done a PCR Express Test, you will receive it in the evening - before 11pm on the day you performed the test.
If the analysis is delayed, we will notify you by 11 p.m. In such cases, the answer is rarely delayed by more than 1-2 hours.

How can I find out what the requirements are for each country?

Visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs trip and see what applies to your country. If necessary - visit the website of your country's embassy.

https://www.swedenabroad.se/sv/om-utlandet-f%C3%B6r-svenska-medborgare/

I have symptoms, can I come to you for a test?

We will only test you if you have been symptom-free for at least 48 hours. NOTE! No exceptions are made to this rule!

What time/date will it say on the certificate?

The time is counted from the time you perform the test with us. This is the date and time shown on the certificate.

Do I need a Swedish identity number to take a test for a travel certificate?

No, you can be a tourist and still be tested and have a travel certificate issued. The important thing is that you have your passport/travel document with you when you take the test with us.

Can I come and test myself with you even if I'm not travelling anywhere?

Yes, but you must be symptom-free for 48 hours before you can come to our clinic. In our registration form, which you need to complete before your visit, you can indicate that you do not want a travel certificate.

What are the different types of tests for Covid-19?

a) Serological tests - a test that can detect the presence of antibodies. This test can detect a past infection over a long period of time (months - years) and can detect a fresh infection (from day 3-5). The sample material consists of serum, plasma or whole blood.

b) Nucleic acid detection - (NAAT) PCR - a type of test that looks for a specific sequence of a virus, for example, and looks for its presence in a sample. This gives a snapshot of whether the virus is present in the patient at the moment. Turns negative early in the course and when the virus is no longer present in the body. Cannot distinguish between infectious and inactivated virus. Cannot detect past infection. Taken via nasal swab.

All analyses for PCR are performed via so-called qRT-PCR, i.e. quantitative analyses.

c) Antigen test
A rapid test to detect ongoing infection. Taken via nasal swab. A response is obtained after 15 minutes and is normally sent out within one hour. The strength of the test is to screen symptomatic individuals for Covid-19.

Can you invoice us?

We only invoice companies. If your company is interested in testing you with us, you can contact our customer service who will add you as a business customer with us and then we can invoice your company. We need 2-3 working days to process your request.

Why do I need to bring my passport?

Most countries require your passport/travel document number to appear on the certificate.

Can I get my certificate in English?

Yes, all our certificates are in English.