Health centres in the Balearics now have rapid antigen tests. Targeted at patients who have had symptoms for no more than five days, the tests enable the diagnosis of the virus when the viral load is at its highest.
The regional health ministry has acquired 850,000 tests, saying in a statement that they are a "very useful diagnostic tool, as having results in fifteen minutes allows us to act more quickly when it comes to cutting the chain of transmission and stopping the community transmission of the virus". The test detects antigens, which are specific proteins in the virus.
The health service now has three types of test - the regular PCR tests, serological tests and now the rapid antigen tests. The serological tests detect antibodies and are therefore used to analyse whether a patient has had the disease.