(QCOSTARICA) A total of 1,850 people are the target of the massive random testing that the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) will be carrying out, in the canton of Alajuelita, on the south side of San Jose, from this Monday to July 8.
Dr. Román Macaya, president executive of the CCSS said that a contingent of 100 CCSS officials under the coordination of the Epidemiological Surveillance subarea of the central level and the Alajuelita health area will work in a total of 23 of the 111 neighborhoods of the canton.
The test will be carried out on people five years of age and older who live in communities such as: Chorotega, Corina Rodríguez, Los Pinos, Alajuelita Centro, La Guápil, San Felipe, Tejarcillos, San Josecito, Juan Rafael Mora, Vista Real, San Felipe 1, Calle Alto Parte Este, Concepción Arriba, El Tejar, Las Vegas, Piedras de Fuego, Cochea, Antolina, Calle Vieja al Colegio, Los Almendros, Riveras del Río, Ocho de Diciembre and Avenida Seis.
Two blocks were defined in each neighborhood and for each block a sample will be taken from 30 asymptomatic people, which means 60 people per neighborhood. On the first day of testing, 660 samples are targeted.
Macaya explained that a work team will be itinerant due to distance and difficulty of access to some of the communities, in such a way that this team will travel to the most distant areas.
The CCSS president commented that in each family, only one asymptomatic person will be sampled. If a person with symptoms is identified, their sample will also be taken. For this, the primary care technical assistants (ATAP) will go to each randomly selected house to communicate to the family and identify a person. If they do not open the door, they will continue with the house adjacent.
Dr. Macaya clarified that those symptomatic people who are not within the 23 selected areas are requested to appear with a mask at the headquarters of the Alajuelita health area so that they are cared for in the respiratory area.
Macaya added that the Alajuelita testing is targeted, while the Pavas testing the week before last was random.