News Forum - PM orders rollout of low-cost antigen test kits, aims to distribute 20 million a month

[Thaiger]

The Thai government plans to make lower-cost antigen test kits available to the general public through pharmacies and hospitals. According to CCSA spokesman, Taweesilp Visanuyothin, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha wants around 20 million kits a month distributed across the country, allowing people easier access to proof of being infected. The Bangkok Post reports that, according to government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, the PM has welcomed Thailand’s low death toll from the Omicron variant, adding that there are still plenty of beds and medical equipment and supplies available for all patients. However, Taweesilp remains cautious, pointing out that the infection rate has not […]

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[Graham]

Better double that number because nobody is getting PCR tests for fear of being jailed in a Hospitel.

TIT.

[MikeW]

I think I would rather have proof of not being infected 

[Stonker]

46 minutes ago, MikeW said:

I think I would rather have proof of not being infected 

Agreed - they're far from ideal as there's a 1 in 10 chance of getting a false negative and bimbling around thinking you're negative so taking less care and infecting others, and a 1 in 20 chance of getting a false positive so self-isolating at home.

If 20 million a month do that and infections are widespread, maybe 1 in 15 as is the current estimate in the UK, that's around 130,000 unwittingly spreading the virus every month and 70,000 self-isolating at home if they don't want to get a PCR test.

You need two or three tests over a couple of days to have a proper idea, so 20 million a month is going to go nowhere - the only way has to be way more tests available, and at maybe 100 baht a test so everyone can afford two or three but they won't waste them.

Expensive, but a lot less than the cost of people spreading the virus unwittingly or self-isolating at home unnecessarily.

https://www.itv.com/news/2021-12-20/how-accurate-are-lateral-flow-tests-and-when-should-you-take-them

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britain-reports-record-covid-19-prevalence-omicron-surges-2022-01-05/

[Farang123]

How can one 'order' a price reduction?  Surely a free market economy prevails in Thailand and the manufacturers must make a profit?

 

Why not 'order' someone to fix the broken street light outside my house? Why not 'order' a procedure for monitoring the ineffective police or holes in the road.

 

 

[Cabra]

I certainly like the idea of more testing to better measure the spread of covid. Even if people are afraid of self-reporting infection, maybe if they do self-testing they will at least do the right thing and self quarantine.

[Cabra]

@Stonker we got shut down on the other thread... Your question what would I suggest (vs. pushing a 4th dose)... as serendipity would have it... more testing! Let's invest in more and easier testing to measure just how much virus is really out there.

[Stonker]

37 minutes ago, Cabra said:

@Stonker we got shut down on the other thread... Your question what would I suggest (vs. pushing a 4th dose)... as serendipity would have it... more testing! Let's invest in more and easier testing to measure just how much virus is really out there.

Agreed that's needed, but all that does is "measure just how much virus is really out there. "

Testing doesn't solve the problem, it just tells you how bad it is and the same question still remains ...

'what do you do?'

... and I can still only think of three answers, all while waiting for a better vax to come along:

1. Vaccinate as much as you can with the best you can get.

2. Impose a massive lockdown, either on everyone or with more restrictions on the 40% of the population who are clinically vulnerable, or total indefinite isolation on the 5% who are extremely vulnerable.

3. Bury your head in the sand and hope it all goes away.

None are perfect, but what other solutions are there?

You'd think there'd be an answer from the vaccine sceptics, but sadly there's none apart from 'it's all a hoax' ...

 

 

[Cabra]

1 hour ago, Stonker said:

Agreed that's needed, but all that does is "measure just how much virus is really out there. "

Testing doesn't solve the problem, it just tells you how bad it is

Which then helps target the vaccine rollout proportionately, vaccinate the unvaccinated, and generally make smarting public health policy decisions.

[Blogosopher]

So......why are expensive PCR tests being required for visitors if this antigen test is acceptable? People only need a negative viral antigen test to enter my home country and they're usually half the price as the PCR test. Even then, the Thai hospital staff kept trying to tell me that I needed a PCR, everyone gets a PCR. I told them everyone that got a PCR to enter my home country overspent because they were lied to or just too lazy (15 minutes online) to find out the facts. Myself and then my wife a few months later used the viral antigen to enter my home country. To come back back to Thailand, our PCR tests in my home country were free too. After getting here was a whole different testing story.

[Graham]

On 2/1/2022 at 2:29 PM, Blogosopher said:

So......why are expensive PCR tests being required for visitors if this antigen test is acceptable? People only need a negative viral antigen test to enter my home country and they're usually half the price as the PCR test. Even then, the Thai hospital staff kept trying to tell me that I needed a PCR, everyone gets a PCR. I told them everyone that got a PCR to enter my home country overspent because they were lied to or just too lazy (15 minutes online) to find out the facts. Myself and then my wife a few months later used the viral antigen to enter my home country. To come back back to Thailand, our PCR tests in my home country were free too. After getting here was a whole different testing story.

It's all about the money being made by certain individuals in Thailand, simple.

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

On 2/1/2022 at 12:39 PM, Farang123 said:

Surely a free market economy prevails in Thailand and the manufacturers must make a profit?

…. Phuket taxis come to mind here as free market. But Govt tends to put the breaks on rising prices as it makes them look bad, like masks, chicken, pork, petrol to name a few.