Coronavirus tests at Mehiläinen

Mehiläinen wants to help Finland get through the coronavirus epidemic. We conduct tests in line with the instructions issued by the authorities. Sampling at our drive-in testing stations began on Monday, 16 March 2020.

Page contents:

• Information about the coronavirus test
• Price of a coronavirus test
• Drive-in testing stations – Where to go for coronavirus testing?

Information about the coronavirus test

Coronavirus tests can be performed either by determining the presence of the virus on the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity or the presence of antibodies in the body.

How is a sample for the coronavirus test taken?

The coronavirus test typically involves taking a sample from deep inside the patient's nasal cavity with a flexible cotton bud. Ample quantities of the virus are present on the mucous membranes, particularly in the early stages of the disease. The sample is tested for the ribonucleic acid of the virus or, in other words, certain genetic material characteristics of the virus are identified to indicate whether the virus is present in the sample.

Results of the coronavirus test

A positive result is a highly reliable indicator of infection. However, a negative result does not completely rule out the possibility of the disease as the presence of the virus on the mucous membranes varies greatly between individuals and, in addition, the success of the sampling and the laboratory analysis may influence the result.

Your test results will be made available in OmaMehiläinen approximately 1–3 days after the sample was taken, also on weekends. If the test was performed on a child under 18, please ensure that they have been added to your family profile in order to view the results in OmaMehiläinen.

If the result is positive, you will be given a digital questionnaire in OmaMehiläinen for tracking any possible chains of infection. Our health care professionals will also call you to go over the instructions for home quarantine and the information about possible chains of infection and exposure to be submitted to the physician in charge of communicable diseases in your place of residence for the purpose of issuing statements and decisions. This information is very important for controlling the spread of the epidemic in Finland.

We will report positive test results either to the administrative body of your place of residence or the hospital district in compliance with regional practices. The investigation of contact tracing will also comply with regional practices, which means that a representative of Mehiläinen, your home municipality or the hospital district will manage it on a case-by-case basis.

Price of a coronavirus test

• The price of the test is EUR 249 (EUR 193 with the Kela reimbursement).
• Coronavirus tests are only available with a doctor’s referral. Referrals can be acquired with our Digital Clinic service, for instance. The price of a Digital Clinic appointment is EUR 39.90 (EUR 31.90 with the Kela reimbursement).
• If the result is positive, we will call the tested customer to give them further treatment and quarantine instructions. The price of the further treatment consultation is EUR 38.

Certificate of a negative result

If you need a certificate of a (negative) coronavirus test result in order to, for example, travel or for any other purpose, you must request it separately. The price of the certificate is EUR 21.90.

When the result is available, you can pick up the certificate from a Mehiläinen medical clinic. These certificates can only be requested in person at medical clinics. Once a certificate has been issued, you can always print a copy of it later on in the OmaMehiläinen service. If you need the original certificate instead of a copy, you must pick it up at one of Mehiläinen’s locations.

Instructions for those arriving for coronavirus testing

If you have any symptoms that indicate the possibility of a coronavirus infection, use the Digital Clinic chat “Suspected coronavirus infection” in the OmaMehiläinen service. The price of a Digital Clinic appointment is EUR 39.90 (EUR 31.90 with the Kela reimbursement).

A Digital Clinic doctor will assess your symptoms and issue a referral to a coronavirus test, if necessary. Referrals are issued according to the criteria determined by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. In practice, it is possible to take a sample for a COVID-19 analysis from all patients who experience symptoms associated with a coronavirus infection or who are suspected of having been exposed to a coronavirus infection on the basis of a doctor’s assessment.

In addition to the Digital Clinic service, it is possible to take tests at respiratory tract infection clinics according to a doctor’s discretion and the testing criteria.

If you have been issued with a referral to a coronavirus test and you are visiting a drive-in testing station by car, please stay inside your car while the sample is being taken. Remember the safety distance and follow all instructions given at the testing station. You will not need to leave your car at all, even for the sampling.

Please check the location of your nearest sampling station before arriving for testing. Please note that our testing stations can be busy at times and you may have to wait for your turn.

Drive-in testing stations – Where to go for coronavirus testing

Mehiläinen performs coronavirus testing at drive-in testing stations throughout Finland. Find the drive-in testing station closest to you and check its opening hours.

You can also see the number of respiratory tract infection diagnoses and suspected coronavirus cases at Mehiläinen in real time online. This view and monitoring data is available to everyone at korona.mehilainen.fi.

Page last updated: 21 Aug 2020.