COVID-19: At-risk people to be screened at home to curb contagion

[webfact]

At-risk people to be screened at home to curb contagion

By The Nation

 

File photo

 

The Department of Health Service Support has announced guidelines for medics to screen people for Covid-19 in their homes in order to contain the spread of the virus.

 

Dr Tares Krassanairawiwong, the department director-general, said on Wednesday (April 15) that public fear was high after more than 2,500 cases of the disease had been discovered so far in Thailand.

 

“This crisis has caused panic among people, and some of those who have been in contact with confirmed cases may not be able to travel from their homes to medical facilities because they are afraid that they may spread the disease,” he said.

 

“Also, this move [home screening] is another way to prevent and control the spread of this contagious disease, so we have to set guidelines to create a standard that all medical institutions must follow.”

 

He added that the department did not allow medical institutions to provide services which are not related to Covid-19 screening and examination, such as beauty treatment or vitamin injections.

 

The department announced that screening and examining for Covid-19 at people’s homes must proceed under the following guidelines:

 

1. The patient must be at high risk of infection, as specified by the Public Health Ministry.

 

2. The service provider must be a medical professional or medical technologist and must proceed under the professional standard.

 

3. All Covid-19 test kits, materials and tools used in home screening must be certified by the Food and Drug Administration.

 

4. The service provider must send any samples for testing to one of the 93 laboratories nationwide certified by the Department of Medical Sciences (43 laboratories in Bangkok and vicinity, and 50 laboratories in other provinces).

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30386042

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-04-15

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[ThailandRyan]

Wow that seems like an explosive .........  Just imagine, testing, screening, and then hauling someone away in the Ambulance.  Sounds like body snatching has been authorized, but then I might have just read into what it is they want to do....

[bluesofa]

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

4. The service provider must send any samples for testing to one of the 93 laboratories nationwide certified by the Department of Medical Sciences (43 laboratories in Bangkok and vicinity, and 50 laboratories in other provinces).

What about while they are waiting for however many days for the results to come back.

Will there be anyone to ensure the tested person stays in isolation in their home and don't contact anyone?

[Surelynot]

What they say they will do and what they actually do rarely seem to match up.

 

We were told we had to have daily screening for any evidence of fever. They have checked us twice in 15 days and haven't been for the last 6 days.

 

We could be dead in our beds.

[Crossy]

42 minutes ago, webfact said:

1. The patient must be at high risk of infection, as specified by the Public Health Ministry.

 

Do we know what constitutes "high risk"?

 

Will they test the filthy farangs (even at a cost)?

 

Will we be required to grant access to these testers (who may well be contaminated by their previous victims)?

 

 

[ukrules]

32 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Do we know what constitutes "high risk"?

Apparently 'white skin' is a very big risk.

[DrTuner]

'All Covid-19 test kits'

 

What test kits would these be? Antibody?

 

EDIT: a-ha, needs to be sent to lab, so they mean the swab and the container the sample will be put in.

[BigBadGeordie]

5 hours ago, ukrules said:

Apparently 'white skin' is a very big risk.

Well after 14 days self isolation indoors looks like I am in deep ****, either that or in high risk. Not sure which is worse.

[djayz]

Should be easy to track down those returnees who managed to jump quarantine.