CCSA insists fewer new COVID-19 cases not from testing less

[webfact]

CCSA insists fewer new cases not from testing less

 

   

BANGKOK(NNT)-The government’s COVID-19 center has insisted the lower number of new COVID-19 cases announced each day is not due to an alleged lesser number of tests, while health authorities are working to increase test numbers according to the situation.

 

The Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration’s (CCSA) Spokesman Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin, has stressed that the drop in the daily number of new COVID-19 cases is not a result of less testing.

 

He said 100,498 tests for the coronavirus causing COVID-19 have been performed in Thailand from February up until 10th April, using the RT-PCR method.

 

Test capacity as well as criteria for eligibility have been expanded to cover all groups of patients, and in response to the current situation.

 

In the case of a BMTA bus driver who has died of COVID-19, formally announced by the CCSA today, the spokesman insisted the authorities had not tried to conceal this information.

 

He said the BMTA promptly notified health authorities according to the protocol, while health workers have been tracing and screening 20 persons who were in close contact with the deceased in this case, all of whom are now in self-isolation for symptoms monitoring.

 

Passengers on buses operated by the then driver can receive a examination if they exhibit suspicious symptoms.

 

Regarding Thai nationals overseas who wish to return home, Dr Taweesin has clarified that the government does not prohibit their return travel, but rather asks them to comply with the screening measures which will start in their current country of residence.

 

He said Thai nationals abroad are asked to travel back in batches, as authorities in Thailand must come up with supporting protocols, as well as preparing the staff and facilities.

 

The CCSA spokesman said he isn’t worried that protocols to screen returning Thai nationals from abroad might be seen as unconstitutional, stressing that this is an essential measure to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the country, while also pointing to the declining number of new cases.

 

Source: http://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG200414201037749

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2020-04-15

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[cornishcarlos]

I'm sure they stated a few weeks back that they had the capacity to test 20,000 per day and that a mega lab was also ready to test thousands a day ?? 

Guess they didn't use the full capacity after all....

[smedly]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

He said 100,498 tests for the coronavirus causing COVID-19 have been performed in Thailand from February up until 10th April, using the RT-PCR method.

really ?

 

it was about 20k 3 weeks ago

[smedly]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Passengers on buses operated by the then driver can receive a examination if they exhibit suspicious symptoms.

I honestly think people here are afraid to go near the authorities because they and anyone they have been in contact with will likely be detained by armed police and army and forced into unsavoury isolation centers  

[cornishcarlos]

“Currently, our capacity in both the private and public sector in Bangkok and its metropolitan areas can test around 10,000 samples per day, and in other provinces another 10,000 samples per day – making total 20,000 samples per day nationwide,” Taweesilp said at Tuesday’s briefing."

 

https://www.msn.com/en-sg/news/world/dissatisfied-officials-admit-thailand-needs-more-covid-19-testing/ar-BB12fKjg

 

I guess they only run tests once a fortnight !!

[ben2talk]

Thailand has only 200 ventilators. Actual infections could be more than 40 times more than reported (80% infected have no symptoms) so real number can be 200,000, so testing isn't really gonna help this shower.

 

More concerning is the incompetence in hospitals (including Bangkok) which still cannot operate without holding tons of people in queues - can't manage delivering medication without calling people to travel and sit around waiting, and can't even fulfill prescriptions written out by doctors (my doctor prescribed 4 months supply, they said they'd give my wife 3 months and she could go back for more later...).

 

Comical.

[DrTuner]

And I insist on publishing the daily test numbers, including private hospitals, and the number of "Probable" and "Asymptomatic" and positives from private tests. MoPH has these.

 

I guess it's a Mexican standoff then.

[Bender Rodriguez]

did they not announce it was not worth, the cost of testing...

[JCP108]

On 4/15/2020 at 10:11 AM, smedly said:

really ?

 

it was about 20k 3 weeks ago

Right. And, when they bumped up the number of tests from 22k to 72k, the number of positives never bumped. Not ever since that increase in number of tests. If the hit rate of the additional tests was similar to the original 22k, the number of positives should have tripled by now.

[DrTuner]

2 minutes ago, JCP108 said:

Right. And, when they bumped up the number of tests from 22k to 72k, the number of positives never bumped. Not ever since that increase in number of tests. If the hit rate of the additional tests was similar to the original 22k, the number of positives should have tripled by now.

There's a reason for that, the 50k bump was from private tests, none of them having been "Confirmed" in two reference labs. Obviously there will have been positives, but those would not be even in the "Probable" slot, because no reference lab at all:

 

https://ddc.moph.go.th/viralpneumonia/eng/file/guidelines/G_en_21022020.pdf

Quote

2. Probable case is defined as a PUI who has tested positive for genetic materials of SARS-CoV-2 by
PCR from one (1) reference laboratory, or by genetic sequencing, or by culture.
3. Confirmed case is defined as a PUI who has tested positive for genetic materials of SARS-CoV-2 by
PCR from two (2) reference laboratories, or by genetic sequencing, or by culture.
4. Asymptomatic case is defined as a person who has tested positive for genetic materials of SARS-CoV2 by PCR from two (2) reference laboratories, or by genetic sequencing, or by culture, but has
shown no signs and symptoms.

 

BTW better download these docs now. MoPH has shown in the past information can disappear, like the pending test numbers from already published reports.

[JCP108]

7 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

There's a reason for that, the 50k bump was from private tests, none of them having been "Confirmed" in two reference labs. Obviously there will have been positives, but those would not be even in the "Probable" slot, because no reference lab at all:

 

https://ddc.moph.go.th/viralpneumonia/eng/file/guidelines/G_en_21022020.pdf

 

BTW better download these docs now. MoPH has shown in the past information can disappear, like the pending test numbers from already published reports.

So, my opinion is you can't include those extra "tests" in your total tests number until you also include the results of the tests. As test is a test because of it's function and the only function of a Covid-19 test is to indicate that the sample being tested is positive or negative for the virus. There is no other function of the test. It's not for decoration.

 

If you are only going to say that tests were performed but the results in no way can be revealed or counted, then the test is mere decoration. It waters down the validity of the total tests sum. That sum should be reduced to only the number of tests that were performed and then counted in regards to their results (if positive).

[DrTuner]

2 hours ago, JCP108 said:

There is no other function of the test. It's not for decoration.

I think that's exactly the function of the tests in Thailand.