Health officials concede to using rapid antigen tests

[Thaiger]

Health officials are conceding to using rapid antigen tests on top of using the RT-PCR method to detect cases of Covid. The public Health Ministry is eager to use the rapid antigen test to determine possible infections as Covid cases incessantly rise. Thai media reports that the RT-PCR method would still be employed. The Director General of the DMS, Dr Supakit Sirilak, say those in the health industry have been discussing using the rapid testing as the Covid situation in Thailand continues to deteriorate. Dr Supakit says health officials are now mulling over whether the rapid test kids should be […]

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[Spanfan]

Our school in the UK has been using this method for nearly a year and only had one positive case in that time. Pupils over 11 and staff test twice a week. It works!

[Stonker]

3 hours ago, Spanfan said:

Our school in the UK has been using this method for nearly a year and only had one positive case in that time. Pupils over 11 and staff test twice a week. It works!

How do you know? 

 

Maybe it doesn't work at all, and they've had plenty of false negatives.

[Soidog]

Yes, I’ve been using rapid test kits for the last 6 months. Recently at work, two people who have been vaccinated detected they had Covid during a routine Rapid test. This was later confirmed via a PCR test. Nothing is fool proof and the problem with doing things at home, is that it relies on the individual swabbing correctly. However, it’s another tool in the box and if they are only 25% accurate. It’s still 25% of people you perhaps wouldn’t have caught until they were potentially spreading the virus. 
 

We should use all methods available from temperature testing to dogs detecting it. It’s not so much what the tests are as what the action is when it tests positive. If you are told to close your street stall for 2 weeks without any money then compliance will be low. 

[Stonker]

The danger is the false negatives.

 

False positives, at worst, will think they're positive and will waste a day getting a PCR test.

 

False negatives, at worst, will think they're negative, relax, and happily and unknowingly infect all those they meet for a fortnight.

 

 

 

Edited July 9, 2021 by Stonker

[Dedinbed]

7 hours ago, Thaiger said:

Health officials are conceding to using rapid antigen tests

I had an aunty called Jen but she was anything but rapid .. even on her Zimmer ..

[Soidog]

3 hours ago, Stonker said:

The danger is the false negatives.

False positives, at worst, will think they're positive and will waste a day getting a PCR test.

False negatives, at worst, will think they're negative, relax, and happily and unknowingly infect all those they meet for a fortnight.

But still better than not testing anyone. Missing a few people by returning a false negative is no different to not testing at all. People would carry on anyway. Introducing a system of test kits will at least capture a percentage 

[uanmak]

4 hours ago, Stonker said:

How do you know? 

Maybe it doesn't work at all, and they've had plenty of false negatives.

In this case either they never sampled correctly, or they never prepared the sample for the lateral flow correctly, or the lateral flow strips were all faulty. All these instances are so remote to have consistently occurred for 2 tests/day, over one year, for each person, that the probability of a relevant number of false negatives is literally insignificant.

[Soidog]

4 hours ago, uanmak said:

In this case either they never sampled correctly, or they never prepared the sample for the lateral flow correctly, or the lateral flow strips were all faulty. All these instances are so remote to have consistently occurred for 2 tests/day, over one year, for each person, that the probability of a relevant number of false negatives is literally insignificant.

Agreed. Lateral flow tests aren’t perfect but nothing is. They are one of a number of tools which help detect Covid. 

[farangalso]

Rapid antigen  tests not allowed when you come to Thailand. I had to have a pcr test because they are more accurate. Thailand always taking a short cut look where that has gotten them today, how is that working for them?

[BainaiThai]

Here is a recent peer reviewed study from the UK regarding the Lateral Flow covid test.  There appeared to me to be a lot of controversy over the effectiveness of the Chinese tests...(govt bought a s...pot full) and a need to prove it was a good investment.  We have had many of the same discussions.  IMO the only meaningful statistic indicates that if you test positive it is pretty reliable.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-58899612

 

[Bob20]

2 hours ago, BainaiThai said:

Here is a recent peer reviewed study from the UK regarding the Lateral Flow covid test.  There appeared to me to be a lot of controversy over the effectiveness of the Chinese tests...(govt bought a s...pot full) and a need to prove it was a good investment.  We have had many of the same discussions.  IMO the only meaningful statistic indicates that if you test positive it is pretty reliable.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-58899612

Having purchased them, tested them and found them proficient, the Thai government should include ATK-test results in the statistics.

What they currently do, is replace a significant number of PCT-tests with ATK-tests and then exclude the ATK's positive results from the numbers.

That's how they artificially create low daily number headlines!

[Stonker]

2 hours ago, Bob20 said:

Having purchased them, tested them and found them proficient, the Thai government should include ATK-test results in the statistics.

What they currently do, is replace a significant number of PCT-tests with ATK-tests and then exclude the ATK's positive results from the numbers.

That's how they artificially create low daily number headlines!

The problem, shown beyond any doubt in Phuket with the numbers in the Covid Care Centres, is that they isolate them as if they had been PCR tested, say that they're going to be PCR tested, but then don't do so before their 14 days is up and they're released.

[Bob20]

52 minutes ago, Stonker said:

The problem, shown beyond any doubt in Phuket with the numbers in the Covid Care Centres, is that they isolate them as if they had been PCR tested, say that they're going to be PCR tested, but then don't do so before their 14 days is up and they're released.

I don't see that as a problem. They are still isolated and get nicer accommodation for 14 days than the ones that get a positive PCR-test (referencing @Malc-Thai)

And if they get symptoms, they're off to hospital after all.

I find the main problem that the country is lied to. First they choose ATK's that others have rejected as bad quality. Then they buy them and test them and claim that they are good. But then they don't add their count to the daily numbers which show up far too low and are subsequently used for the usual propaganda that all is well with Thailand and its opening plans.

To then make the rules so difficult and keep changing them, so that nothing matters anyway as no significant numbers will jump through the hoops. 

[Malc-Thai]

12 minutes ago, Bob20 said:

I don't see that as a problem. They are still isolated and get nicer accommodation for 14 days than the ones that get a positive PCR-test (referencing @Malc-Thai)

And if they get symptoms, they're off to hospital after all.

I find the main problem that the country is lied to. First they choose ATK's that others have rejected as bad quality. Then they buy them and test them and claim that they are good. But then they don't add their count to the daily numbers which show up far too low and are subsequently used for the usual propaganda that all is well with Thailand and its opening plans.

To then make the rules so difficult and keep changing them, so that nothing matters anyway as no significant numbers will jump through the hoops. 

Yes the pcr testing is meant to take place after testing positive from antigen test..  but never seems to happen.. 2 ways out of the hide'm away hotels here..

1. 14 days then antigen test

2. or ambulance to hospital..

I've spoken to one group but one thing I should have asked the people that had left the hotels were, did they have to pay themselves for the pcr test after testing positive for antigen test?. that may make sense why they are not testing with a pcr test!