How much corona test?

[jaffas21]

If you are a non Thai citizen and needed a test how much would it cost do you think? Injections, blood tests, 14 days of isolation if your positive.

 

Just wondered as no one seems to have posted on the topic? It hasn't currently spread to the Europeans here, but I presume it wouldn't be free

 

has anyone inquired yet?

[tifino]

 oh well... just make like you are going to cough over them if they don't attend to you! 

 

 

 and they'd probably anyhow be too scared to take cash from your 'infected' hands...

 

[Puchaiyank]

As much as they think they can milk you for...sky is the limit...

[Jonathan Fairfield]

A friend of mine was charged 15k for a coronavirus test at a private hospital in Hua Hin. 

 

This was about a month ago. He'd recently returned from China (he's Chinese) and got a test as a precaution. 

 

The test came back negative but yes, 15k it cost him.

[PPMMUU]

should be free of charge if you met the criteria

[Sheryl]

42 minutes ago, PPMMUU said:

should be free of charge if you met the criteria

 

At a government hospital, perhaps. Not at a private one.

 

People should be aware that very, very few private hospitals have the  capacity to test for COVID-19 (and none in Hua Hin that I know of). Some private hospitals are apparently cashing in on fears  by offering Respiratory Pathogen profiles which test for influenza and some other viruses including older types of coronoaviruses.

 

I am not sure if there is enough similiarity to the cornonaviruses in the RPP that COVID would show up in which case they could then proceed to actual testing for COVUD-19 or if these hospitals are just misleading people.

 

A hospital without capacity to test for COVID-19 can of course send a specimen onward to the few hospitals which can do it but  I don't think the government hospitals (which is mainly where the capacity exists) will run the test on demand for patients who do not meet the criteria. They cannot afford to, they are being overwhelmed as it is and need to conserve resources for where they are most needed.

 

If you should test positive for COVID-19 in most cases you will not need any treatment other than self-isolation. If you are in the unlucky minority who develop the more severe form then antivirals may be given (orally, not injection). If you are really unlucky and have severe pneumonia with respiratory failure then of course it is a whole other matter and expensive hospitalization will be needed. The odds of this happening to you are extremely low especially if in generally good health.

[ExpatOilWorker]

From an earlier thread.....

 

 

Edited March 2, 2020 by ExpatOilWorker

[legend49]

In USA its free testing, but thats a long walk.

[justin case]

what if you fly back and have a SIMPLE cold and off course you have some FEVER as this is how the body actually fight a VIRUS !

 

but off course most people don't know this simple fact and anything above 38 and they start popping tylenol, which stops your liver from working correctly. -> cannot detox the by-products of virus xyz...

[DeeMak9]

Just get a chest X ray. ~1500 baht without doctor fees in a private hospital.

[Tchooptip]

Road traffic would become a totally insoluble problem!

[Pedrogaz]

I saw the prices in Japan today; it is about 15000 yen (or 5000 baht). If you have insurance as most do it costs 30% of the cost ie 4500 yen (about 1500 baht).

 

Patients often require multiple tests....so to confirm the disease and to confirm you have cleared it when you are discharged.

 

But I would imagine that for foreigners to biggest bill will be for 14 plus days of accommodation on top of any treatment you receive. 

[DogNo1]

A test in Tokyo would cost me 1,500 yen.  I am guessing that in Japan any outpatient clinic could send it on to a lab or large hospital  Although transportation of the samples from the Diamond Princess seemed to be a big problem.  Being over 70 in Japan confers a huge advantage .  My co-pay is 10% but cannot exceed 8,000 yen per month.  Too bad that it's such a wet and humid place to live where you can expect rain at least twice a week.

Edited March 2, 2020 by DogNo1
spelling error

[chilli42]

I did the Corona test last Friday and Saturday.  I have no recall of what it cost but left me with a massive headache by Sunday morning

[wombat]

1 hour ago, chilli42 said:

I did the Corona test last Friday and Saturday.  I have no recall of what it cost but left me with a massive headache by Sunday morning

A Corona tester...you'd need a work permit?

[from the home of CC]

10 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

A friend of mine was charged 15k for a coronavirus test at a private hospital in Hua Hin. 

 

This was about a month ago. He'd recently returned from China (he's Chinese) and got a test as a precaution. 

 

The test came back negative but yes, 15k it cost him.

so what, it's a private hospital and they can charge what they want - up to you if you're dumb enough to pay it..

[Puccini]

3 hours ago, chilli42 said:

I did the Corona test last Friday and Saturday.  I have no recall of what it cost but left me with a massive headache by Sunday morning

What specimen was taken for the test?

[wwest5829]

13 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

A friend of mine was charged 15k for a coronavirus test at a private hospital in Hua Hin. 

 

This was about a month ago. He'd recently returned from China (he's Chinese) and got a test as a precaution. 

 

The test came back negative but yes, 15k it cost him.

He was overcharged. But hey, capitalism, whatever the market will bear.

Edited March 2, 2020 by wwest5829

[wwest5829]

7 hours ago, legend49 said:

In USA its free testing, but thats a long walk.

Read reports of $3200 but all of this is antidotal.

[brianthainess]

5 hours ago, chilli42 said:

I did the Corona test last Friday and Saturday.  I have no recall of what it cost but left me with a massive headache by Sunday morning

Do you get any bells ringing in your ears? if so the cost could have been extortionate.????

[emptypockets]

2 hours ago, wwest5829 said:

Read reports of $3200 but all of this is antidotal.

I see what you did there.

[Iron Tongue]

12 hours ago, legend49 said:

In USA its free testing, but thats a long walk.

Nothing is free in the US, especially medical care.

 

I have also read about covid-19 test costing US$3,200 -after insurance co-pay, but the individual was just paranoid and not in a high-risk group.

 

 

 

[sandyf]

23 hours ago, PPMMUU said:

should be free of charge if you met the criteria

Not necessarily, but that may have changed.

My niece is an intern at a government hospital in BKK and mid Jan they had a Chinese patient referred from outpatients with a suspected case of the virus. He refused the test, said he couldn't afford it and left.

My niece was involved as she did her degree at Sun Yat Sen and speaks Chinese. One can only assume he would have tested negative, at that point in time there was little being done regarding precautions and no staff have become ill.

[ExpatOilWorker]

[Maestro]

I see from the test report that a nasopharyngeal swab was used. That's the same I saw being done in Switzerland.