The testing system, involving a nasal swab with a blood test for antibodies, makes results available within 15 minutes and will be available for less than €20, according to the Roscommon Herald.
The programme is being run by Irish company the Roqu group, who say the same testing system is currently in place at Frankfurt, Rome and Dusseldorf airports.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio One’s Brendan O’Connor show this morning, chief executive of the Roqu group Robert Quirke said that they “had a tremendous day on Friday” when testing commenced.
Mr Quirke said that Co Roscommon had an ageing population and that in some cases, whole generations lived under the same roof.
Anxiety
He said that the testing programme would help alleviate anxiety in the village as many vulnerable people currently felt afraid and unable to leave their house or go to local shops due to the risk of Covid-19.
Mr Quirke said the testing system was in use in 60 countries and has been “validated at 97 per cent accuracy”.
The HSE is involved in the monitoring and supervising of the Co Roscommon project, however, it has not financially invested.
The entire pilot project involves 12 organisations, including two secondary schools, Tallaght Hospital and a chauffeur firm.
However, also speaking to RTÉ Radio One, infectious diseases consultant Professor Sam McConkey warned that a test being used “here and there” is no guarantee “that it actually works well”.
Mr McConkey said that a similar antigen testing was carried out in a village in northern Italy near Bergamo several months ago “and having that understanding of how in local areas it transmits in really thorough detail is very useful”.
The professor said “this approach could be really good at showing what areas are Covid-free and letting people in those areas be much more normal. Unfortunately, you’d be restricting travel in and out of those areas because you don’t want it re-introduced."
