Regarding the increase in the demand for rapid tests, as well as PCR tests, in the period before Christmas, Luís Graça, Professor at FMUL and Principal Investigator at the iMM, said in an interview to SIC Notícias that the tests can "give security that is not real".

Luís Graça explained that if a person is infected, it will take a few days before the virus reproduces in the cells and "reaches an amount that is enough to be detected by the tests". Hence the warning, also issued by health authorities, that "tests are very useful to provide information regarding the time when the test is performed, but they can give a sense of security that is not real".

Still on the same topic, Luís Graça reiterated an important message: "we must be very careful and respect the other measures that prevent transmission and we cannot just trust that the test is the solution for not complying with the measures".

In an interview at Jornal das 7, Luís Graça also commented on the relationship between immunity and vaccination. He stressed that group immunity only happens when "about 60% or 70%" of the population is vaccinated, also warning that the vaccine against covid-19 does not allow one to gain immunity from the moment it is administered. "Vaccines do not allow one to have immunity from the first day," he clarified, adding that "when people receive the vaccine, they must be aware that they can still be infected and can still transmit this infection. It is therefore important to maintain precautions that prevent the transmission of the virus, safety distance, use mask and other measures".

Watch the full interview  here