Unicef boosts Thailand’s Covid testing push

[webfact]

Unicef boosts Thailand’s Covid testing push

By The Nation

 

 

Unicef is contributing to national efforts to expand testing for Covid-19 by providing testing reagents worth Bt5 million. The reagents will support Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute (BIDI), a main centre for testing as Thailand battles the pandemic.

 

The testing reagents will be utilised in BIDI’s fully automated system, which can test up to 1,440 samples in 24 hours.

 

“Fast and accurate testing is extremely crucial to better understand the scale of this Covid-19 pandemic,” said Thomas Davin, Unicef representative for Thailand. “Unicef is committed to supporting the Royal Thai Government, including in its efforts to scale up testing, and we will do whatever we can to help curb the spread of virus and mitigate its health and socioeconomic impact on children and families who are greatly affected by this unprecedented crisis.”

 

Unicef is also partnering with the government, NGOs, the private sector, and other UN agencies, on a number of other initiatives. These include:

 

• Distributing more than 150,000 bars of soap and hand-sanitisers in collaboration with Unilever Thailand, to vulnerable children and young people across the country.

 

• Disseminating information via mass and social media on how to prevent the spread of Covid-19, parenting guidance during the pandemic, and tips on mental health.

 

• Supporting community outreach to offer migrants in 18 provinces key messages on health and hygiene practices.

 

• Conducting surveys and analysing the economic and social impact of Covid-19 on children and young people, especially the most vulnerable.

 

• Providing recommendations to strengthen national social protection support to the most vulnerable.

 

• Procuring infrared thermometers for schools and early childhood development centres, as well as developing guidance on safe school operation, to facilitate the return of children to school in the coming months.

 

“More than ever before, we all need to come together as one to respond to this crisis, with each of us – from organisations, private companies, influencers to the media and individuals – contributing our resources, knowledge and skills. Only through a collective effort can we win this unprecedented battle,” Davin added.

 

Globally, Unicef has launched an appeal for US$651.6 million to fight Covid-19 around the world and support children, young people and their families in coping with the impact of the pandemic.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30386623

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-04-23

 

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[smedly]

sounds like they should be running the country

[DrTuner]

Quote

The testing reagents will be utilised in BIDI’s fully automated system, which can test up to 1,440 samples in 24 hours.

 

This is one of Thailand's reference laboratories, the NIH lab. Two of these must confirm positive for the PUI to get a "Confirmed" status.

 

Thanks for leaking the real capacity number. IIRC when they were still publishing backlog, somebody counted 400-600 persons tested per day and they might have had multiple tests. The PUI increased by 1,840 yesterday, so PUI count is growing faster than their testing capacity.

 

And I also wonder, what was the status of their reagent supplies before this?

Edited April 23, 2020 by DrTuner

[DrTuner]

I've been trying to find a photo from the inside of NIH's lab and I think I might finally have found one:

https://www3.dmsc.moph.go.th/post-view/694

 

 

It's a BSL-3. Some interesting info about BSL levels: http://niah.dld.go.th/th/files/biosafety/เอกสาร & สื่อการเรียนรู้/index.php?dir=&download=BSL_อ.+ชลภัทร.pdf

 

BSL.pdf

[JCP108]

Wish we could find out how many tests they have actually done where the results were counted.

[DrTuner]

5 minutes ago, JCP108 said:

Wish we could find out how many tests they have actually done where the results were counted.

That information is available right next to the details of the Blue Diamond Affair.

[TheFishman1]

So how many people are they really testing every day in Thailand I hope they’re not getting these test and then we selling them to other countries TIT

[Bkk Brian]

12 minutes ago, TheFishman1 said:

So how many people are they really testing every day in Thailand I hope they’re not getting these test and then we selling them to other countries TIT

No giving them away to ASEAN countries!

"The Thai prime minister also expressed Thailand’s readiness to give 10,000 locally-made RT-PCR test kits to each country."

https://www.mcot.net/viewtna/5e957e78e3f8e40af443898d

[grumpy 4680]

     In view of reports out of China yesterday, it was stated that many of the testing kits were useless, and other reports from around the world said that the wrong type of test's were being carried out.

     So what are we supposed to believe, even the temperature tests carried out at the Malls and shopping centres, cannot be a guarentee of one's carrying a fever, I for one seem to be struggling with the heat here, so my temp's have been very close to the borderline.

[Boomer6969]

14 hours ago, DrTuner said:

Thanks for leaking the real capacity number. IIRC when they were still publishing backlog, somebody counted 400-600 persons tested per day and they might have had multiple tests. The PUI increased by 1,840 yesterday, so PUI count is growing faster than their testing capacity.

142,589 is the total number of tests performed so far in Thailand; which indeed gives us a daily average below 1500, while most countries of similar size perform or target 100000 daily tests in order to lift some lockdown restrictions.

Now, it is admitted that, in the short/medium term, the only valid COVID mitigation strategies will be based on "Test and Track", seems that Thailand is (still?) weak on Test and rather good on Track.

[DrTuner]

32 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

 142,589  is the total number of tests performed so far in Thailand; which indeed gives us a daily average below 1500, while most countries of similar size perform or target 100000 daily tests in order to lift some lockdown restrictions.

Now, it is admitted that, in the short/medium term, the only valid COVID mitigation strategies will be based on "Test and Track", seems that Thailand is (still?) weak on Test and rather good on Track.

That number includes tests in private hospitals, the results of which are not confirmed results.

 

In the leaked memo fro MoPH it was clear that over half of that testing number are private tests. Only tests confirmed by two reference labs, such as the NIH/BIDI lab are included in the daily confirmation count fed to the general public.

 

MoPH and MoPH only has the details of the real data.

 

 

[JCP108]

33 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

 142,589  is the total number of tests performed so far in Thailand; which indeed gives us a daily average below 1500, while most countries of similar size perform or target 100000 daily tests in order to lift some lockdown restrictions.

Now, it is admitted that, in the short/medium term, the only valid COVID mitigation strategies will be based on "Test and Track", seems that Thailand is (still?) weak on Test and rather good on Track.

The number of tests where the results get counted might be around 30-40k. So, divide that by the number of days to get a ballpark figure of daily average. 

[jojothai]

The post and comments made repeat the serious issue here with so little testing.

We have no hope in hell of truly knowing how widely spread the virus is here.

This will be a serious long term problem here until there is a vaccine. You will have to assume that anybody could have the virus.

The next winter season could be a disaster.

[Guderian]

UNICEF makes a donation of around $160,000 to a country of 65 million people, whoopee!

That works out at a quarter of a US cent per person in Thailand.

We must be grateful that they're not in charge of the programme to feed the hungry here.

[jojothai]

If they are only capable at most of testing thousands in a day,

Start waking up to the reality of life here for the majority of the people.

What do you think will happen with a vaccine when and if we get it?

How much do you think they will get and distribute?

Major developed countries are already trying to prepare for that issue. 

Here they will want to vaccinate the preferred people first.

Hopefully some of us may be able to pay to get it, but what about the masses.

Also, its possible that you may have to plan to go to home country to get it.

[jojothai]

12 minutes ago, Guderian said:

UNICEF makes a donation of around $160,000 to a country of 65 million people, whoopee!

That works out at a quarter of a US cent per person in Thailand.

We must be grateful that they're not in charge of the programme to feed the hungry here.

Yes, unreal.

And who is going to get the benefit of the extra thousands of tests it may assist with.

What is needed here is 100,000s a day. Even with that there is likely still at least a year of testing to go.

Edited April 24, 2020 by jojothai
Added comment

[FarFlungFalang]

24 minutes ago, jojothai said:

If they are only capable at most of testing thousands in a day,

Start waking up to the reality of life here for the majority of the people.

What do you think will happen with a vaccine when and if we get it?

How much do you think they will get and distribute?

Major developed countries are already trying to prepare for that issue. 

Here they will want to vaccinate the preferred people first.

Hopefully some of us may be able to pay to get it, but what about the masses.

Also, its possible that you may have to plan to go to home country to get it.

I think it would be pretty safe to assume the virus has spread throughout Thailand and done all the damage it's going to do after detecting the first cases outside of China and do nothing for a month.

[johnarth]

still <deleted> apon <deleted> better off sleeping or playing computer games and waiting, I am more interested what counties are going to say to Chhina we are going to have to refigure what we owe you or what you now owe us, how the tv going is it still 24-7 virus or has global warming started to creep back in? what about the jails of the world are they virus free? there will be some horror stories coming from there, has anyone given the virus to animals yet?I do not want to here that China bull about bat eating causing the virus, God help the sick they need it.

[ThailandRyan]

37 minutes ago, Guderian said:

UNICEF makes a donation of around $160,000 to a country of 65 million people, whoopee!

That works out at a quarter of a US cent per person in Thailand.

We must be grateful that they're not in charge of the programme to feed the hungry here.

Wow, someone who looks a gift horse in the mouth.  I am sure if the amount someone wanted to donate to help you out did not meet what you thought you should get, you would just reject it then. Tell me how much you have donated to feed the people here in Thailand, and I am not talking about your family or extended family.  I have donated and I will again continue to donate when my next pension pay date comes around.  

[Cake Monster]

Now its the turn of " Unicef " to assist Thailand with testing.

The EU, America and even China have tried to assist Thailand into performing more testing, but to date nothing seems to have ignited the spark.

The question has to asked as to why all of these other Countries / organizations are pushing for Thailand to test more 

[ThailandRyan]

1 minute ago, Cake Monster said:

Now its the turn of " Unicef " to assist Thailand with testing.

The EU, America and even China have tried to assist Thailand into performing more testing, but to date nothing seems to have ignited the spark.

The question has to asked as to why all of these other Countries / organizations are pushing for Thailand to test more 

I think you know the answer to your own question, and you just want some comments to verify what you already know.  Lying about numbers of infected where everywhere else, even though they are probably short as well, has more confirmed tests and infected.

[Yadon Toploy]

54 minutes ago, Guderian said:

UNICEF makes a donation of around $160,000 to a country of 65 million people, whoopee!

That works out at a quarter of a US cent per person in Thailand.

We must be grateful that they're not in charge of the programme to feed the hungry here.

Meanwhile, the ones actually in charge and responsible have failed miserably on that front.

[Yadon Toploy]

23 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

I think it would be pretty safe to assume the virus has spread throughout Thailand and done all the damage it's going to do after detecting the first cases outside of China and do nothing for a month.

You know what they say about assuming.

[Almer]

1 hour ago, jojothai said:

If they are only capable at most of testing thousands in a day,

Start waking up to the reality of life here for the majority of the people.

What do you think will happen with a vaccine when and if we get it?

How much do you think they will get and distribute?

Major developed countries are already trying to prepare for that issue. 

Here they will want to vaccinate the preferred people first.

Hopefully some of us may be able to pay to get it, but what about the masses.

Also, its possible that you may have to plan to go to home country to get it.

If you have stayed  out of the Uk and are dubbed an Alien you will have to pay so you may as well pay here

[T Lee]

19 hours ago, smedly said:

sounds like they should be running the country

The USA, you mean?  I totally agree!

[Caldera]

Thailand's testing capacity, or lack thereof as it were, is scary. It's probably best to assume the real number of "discovered" COVID-19 patients is close to the PUI number, not the "confirmed" number.

 

[chilli42]

I guess it’s comforting, for some, to not know how bad things are.

[Krataiboy]

3 hours ago, jojothai said:

If they are only capable at most of testing thousands in a day,

Start waking up to the reality of life here for the majority of the people.

What do you think will happen with a vaccine when and if we get it?

How much do you think they will get and distribute?

Major developed countries are already trying to prepare for that issue. 

Here they will want to vaccinate the preferred people first.

Hopefully some of us may be able to pay to get it, but what about the masses.

Also, its possible that you may have to plan to go to home country to get it.

Don't panic. The risk of becoming seriously ill of dying of this virus is extremely small unless you are elderly and/or have pre-existing health problems. The overwhelming majority of confirmed cases go on to make a full recovery.

 

As history demonstrates, it might be imprudent to rely on any vaccine rushed to market without thorough testing. Also worth considering is the little-publicised fact that, despite ongoing intensive vaccinations programmes, seasonal flu in the UK has taken more lives in two of the last five years than the current dubious official COVID-19 fatalities figure.

 

 

[Bkk Brian]

2 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

Don't panic. The risk of becoming seriously ill of dying of this virus is extremely small unless you are elderly and/or have pre-existing health problems. The overwhelming majority of confirmed cases go on to make a full recovery.

 

As history demonstrates, it might be imprudent to rely on any vaccine rushed to market without thorough testing. Also worth considering is the little-publicised fact that, despite ongoing intensive vaccinations programmes, seasonal flu in the UK has taken more lives in two of the last five years than the current dubious official COVID-19 fatalities figure.

 

 

Flu death figures taken over an entire year whatever year that maybe is not comparable to the COVID death count when its only be around for not even 4 months yet.

[ThailandRyan]

2 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

Don't panic. The risk of becoming seriously ill of dying of this virus is extremely small unless you are elderly and/or have pre-existing health problems. The overwhelming majority of confirmed cases go on to make a full recovery.

 

As history demonstrates, it might be imprudent to rely on any vaccine rushed to market without thorough testing. Also worth considering is the little-publicised fact that, despite ongoing intensive vaccinations programmes, seasonal flu in the UK has taken more lives in two of the last five years than the current dubious official COVID-19 fatalities figure.

 

 

Tell that to the average of 2,000 deaths per day related to COVID-19 in the US.....Sorry you were elderly or predisposed to other health conditions.  Try again and look at it from outside of the glass house.  Then look at what is occurring again in China, but then you do not really care now.... still trying to use whole year statistics in comparison to a new virus only a few months old.....and then.....those who try to compare it to road deaths here in Thailand.....