Coronavirus – Medical universities mapping virus in Hungary

Hungary’s medical universities are launching a screening programme on Friday to estimate the actual number of people infected with novel coronavirus and their spread across the country, Béla Merkely, the head of Budapest’s Semmelweis University, said on Tuesday.

Merkely told an online conference that the PCR tests will be conducted with a representative sample of some 18,000 people older than 14.

The results could show how many people have contracted the virus so far, how many have acquired immunity and how many may still be transmitting the virus while showing no symptoms themselves.

Merkely added that people invited to participate in the programme have been selected by the Statistical Office from across the country. He said that participation in the programme was voluntary, but added that “those invited have a great responsibility”.

Concerning the actual tests, Merkely said that both mucus and blood samples would be used to detect presence of the virus as well as the patient’s immune reaction to an earlier infection.