Covid-19
Covid-19 PCR Swabs & Fit to Travel Certificates
We support you in these difficult times and offer COVID-19 PCR tests. They are either nose and throat RT-PCR swabs used to detect the presence of SARS CoV-2 RNA. A healthcare professional performs the test for you.
Your test will include a pdf copy of your laboratory results, and - if desired - a doctor's certificate certifying your fitness to fly.
You can take a test in our Zurich office or our medical professional will come to your location to perform the COVID-19 PCR test.
COVID-19 PCR Swab (Same Day or Next day)
Swiss Medical Center (SMC) provides an Express COVID-19 PCR test. You will receive your results and certificate usually within 24h, including weekends and holiday periods.
In urgent cases the result can be available within 12 hours.
The laboratory which analyses this test operates according to the ISO 17025 standard.
We also offer
COVID-19 Antibody Test
Antibody tests can detect if you have had the infection in the past. This test is not for the acute diagnosis of a disease, and does not give you information about potential protection of a future infection with the Corona Virus. Your symptoms must have fully cleared up for at least 10-14 days before we can carry out this test, ideally longer. In acute cases, this test should not be carried out.
If you want a COVID-19 antibody test you will need to have a blood sample. It is more accurate than “prick testing”. The test itself will be analysed in a laboratory.
Covid-19 IgM/IgG antibody test
In cases of recent infection, it might be useful to perform in addition to a “IgG-test” also an IgM-test which is able to show more recent infections, however, usually this is not needed. A healthcare professional will take a blood sampleand the samples will be analyzed in a lab.
Antibody rapid test
For the rapid test, a drop of your blood from the tip of your your finger is needed, and the test will be carried out at the point of care. You will receive your results within 15-20 mins. The test is slightly less accurate than the testing of the antibodies in the blood, however it is readily available and produces quick results.
IgG Antibody Test
Our antibody test has demonstrated a specificity and sensitivity of 97.5% to SARS-CoV-2. Results are typically available in 2 days.
About Tests
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A positive test result confirms that you have had COVID-19 in the past. It is not yet known whether the presence of antibodies confers immunity and if so, for how long. A negative test means that there are no detectable antibodies in your blood sample. This could be because you have not been infected, the infection was very mild or that your immune system had not produced antibodies to the virus at the time of testing.
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An antigen test is used to aid with the rapid diagnosis of COVID-19 by detecting the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein antigen. This is different to the lab molecular test which uses RT-PCR (in simple terms, RT-PCR looks for the genetic part of the virus (RNA) which then will be amplified to improve diagnostic accurady, while antigen testing looks for a protein particle of the virus).
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Roche Gene Covid-19 antigen test has a slightly lower sensitivity of 96% compared with PCR. A healthcare professional will take a swab from your nose and carry out the point of care test. You will receive your results and a certificate within 15-20min, a medical certificate will be issued within 1 hour, if needed.
Please be aware most airlines to not accept the Antigen testing for travel purposes, even with a medical certificate. The test is very useful however in patients who are experiencing symptoms or in patients who had been exposed to COVID positive patients.
FAQs
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Please see Certificate sample
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Please bring an physical or electronic copy of your picture ID, ideally passport for identification. In particular for clients traveling, it is helpful to mark the passport number on the medical form/ lab test/ certificate to avoid any missunderstanding at the border.
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No. We are only able to issue you with a doctor's letter assessing your fitness to fly if you have a Covid-19 PCR test booked with Swiss Medical Center (SMC).
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Different airlines have different policies and they are changing frequently. Unfortunately we we can not guarantee the specific requirements of each airline at each point in time. Please contact your airline for details of their particular requirements.
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Our doctors can travel all around Switzerland.
COVID-19 Vaccination
Swiss Medical Center has been helping to fight COVID since the beginning, including the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine. As the Swiss Vaccination strategy has foreseen, we first have vaccinated the elderly and vulnerable patients of ours with the Moderna vaccine, based on mRNA technology (novel technology not based on inactivated virus, attenuated virus, or any other kind of virus). The mRNA vaccine provides a blueprint for your cells to build your body’s defense against the virus.You need to have 2 doses of the vaccine and to book 2 appointments, 4-5 weeks apart.
Vaccines are accessible only for Swiss residents/Swiss health insurance card holders. Administration fees are covered by the Swiss government for Swiss residents, you will be provided with an international certificate of vaccination.