In Lower Austria, about 1,700 volunteer fire brigades with about 99,000 members ensure the safety of about two million inhabitants. In the Gänserndorf district fire brigade, Dr. Florian Imböck works as a district fire brigade physician, looking after the daily medical needs of the 5,000 members on duty. Operating in the COVID-19 pandemic is a challenge for the fire brigades and their members, and despite the introduction of rigorous hygiene standards and service instructions for the fire brigade emergency forces, maintaining the operational readiness of the volunteer members is an on-going task, and to help, SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests have been routinely used since 2020.
"Regular testing of members with the SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Test is another important factor in achieving a sense of security for emergency forces and their families, and thus maintaining operational readiness."
"The decision to use the LumiraDx Platform and the SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Test was based not only on the high accuracy of the test, but also on the ease of use of the system. The result is displayed by the device as positive or negative without interpretation."
The SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Test delivers highly sensitive results in 12 minutes. The experience of the fire brigades in Lower Austria suggests that all emergency services organizations as well as healthcare and care workers could benefit from regular testing with the SARS-CoV-2 antigen immunofluorescence assay.
Supporting healthier lives, for individuals, communities and wider society
Enabling responsive, personal relationships between patients and care teams.
Controlling and reducing costs to help ease pressure on healthcare budgets.