Covid 19 RT-PCR Test Requirement puzzle !

[jasonr3255]

UK Thai embassy’s Covid test requirements state as follows......

 

All non-Thai passengers are also required to have a Fit to Fly health certificate and a medical certificate with a laboratory result indicating that COVID -19 is not detected (COVID test must be by RT-PCR method), both issued within 72 hours before departure. This is your own responsibility as these 2 documents will have to be presented upon check-in with the airlines and arrival in Thailand. 
 

So, does that mean the test has to be taken within 72hours ?
or does it mean, let’s say for example the test could be taken 96 hours before departure and it’s the “CERTIFICATE” that has to be “dated and returned” within 72hours of departure not the “result” time ?
 

It’s a little ambiguous as most Of the Embassy’s recommended testers quote taking the test within 72hrs of departure yet they all claim it can take up to 70hrs for the result. ?

 

Scratching my head on this one. Any clarity would be appreciated, because if you took the test within 72hrs of departure there is an outside chance of it not returning before departure.
 

So is it wise to take the swab inside the 72hours or outside the 72hours ?

 

Any advice would be appreciated 

[Tounge Thaied]

Yes... the dates on both documents will need to be within a 72 hour window of your flight departure. The documents cannot be more than three days old at the time of departure. The covid test will have a "collected", "received" and "reported" date and time stamp. I would say that as long a the last date and time stamped, which will be the "received" date and time, will be what counts. 

Edited August 19, 2020 by Tounge Thaied
spelling and content

[timendres]

In the text you provide, it states "medical certificate with a laboratory result ... issued within 72 hours before departure", which suggests that is it the date of the document that matters, not the date of the sample or the date of the result.

[jasonr3255]

9 minutes ago, timendres said:

In the text you provide, it states "medical certificate with a laboratory result ... issued within 72 hours before departure", which suggests that is it the date of the document that matters, not the date of the sample or the date of the result.

I have to agree with you, however Tounge Thaied comment sees it differently and it also makes sense ! 
 

so confused ???? 

[jasonr3255]

Puzzle solved,

asked at the UK Thai embassy and had it confirmed that it is the issue of the Negative Covid -19 Certificate that has to fall within 72hours not the swab test, makes sense considering most of the London Clinics say while They endeavor to have the result back within 70hours they cannot guarantee it  

[srowndedbyh2o]

31 minutes ago, jasonr3255 said:

...makes sense considering...

Actually, if the purpose of the testing is to prevent persons infected with the virus from entering Thailand, then it doesn’t make sense.

[Dan O]

23 hours ago, Tounge Thaied said:

Yes... the dates on both documents will need to be within a 72 hour window of your flight departure. The documents cannot be more than three days old at the time of departure. The covid test will have a "collected", "received" and "reported" date and time stamp. I would say that as long a the last date and time stamped, which will be the "received" date and time, will be what counts. 

I think you may not be correct on that. Everything I've read indicates the test must be done within 72 hours of departure. There is a LOT of mis-leading info and many reading the regulations in a way that they want or hope here on TV. I don't know that I would take the chance of going thru all the steps and paying for hotels and flights and then take a chance on the dates issue when you get to the airport. I would absolutely not take hearsay as fact on this. I would be reading the regulations, they seem to be pretty clear. There are plenty of places to confirm the regulations other than on TV forums

[BritTim]

13 minutes ago, srowndedbyh2o said:

Actually, if the purpose of the testing is to prevent persons infected with the virus from entering Thailand, then it doesn’t make sense.

Indeed, one of the quick tests (administered at the airport an hour before check in) would make a lot more sense. However, the logistics involved in this would be formidable. The certified quick tests require very expensive equipment.

[richard_smith237]

On 8/20/2020 at 1:04 AM, jasonr3255 said:

UK Thai embassy’s Covid test requirements state as follows......

 

All non-Thai passengers are also required to have a Fit to Fly health certificate and a medical certificate with a laboratory result indicating that COVID -19 is not detected (COVID test must be by RT-PCR method), both issued within 72 hours before departure. This is your own responsibility as these 2 documents will have to be presented upon check-in with the airlines and arrival in Thailand. 
 

So, does that mean the test has to be taken within 72hours ?
or does it mean, let’s say for example the test could be taken 96 hours before departure and it’s the “CERTIFICATE” that has to be “dated and returned” within 72hours of departure not the “result” time ?
 

It’s a little ambiguous as most Of the Embassy’s recommended testers quote taking the test within 72hrs of departure yet they all claim it can take up to 70hrs for the result. ?

 

Scratching my head on this one. Any clarity would be appreciated, because if you took the test within 72hrs of departure there is an outside chance of it not returning before departure.
 

So is it wise to take the swab inside the 72hours or outside the 72hours ?

 

Any advice would be appreciated 

Ultimately it depends on the information presented on your test. 

 

I received the result within 48 hrs (both test date and result date were shown)

 

It's up to you to find a test facility which can provide a result within the required timeframe - the Embassy do not know this information. 

 

Research and find some private health facilities near you and contact them. 

 

Here is an example of the certificate you will / may receive. 

I travelled (repatriation flight) on 19th.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 20, 2020 by richard_smith237

[Dan O]

18 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Ultimately it depends on the information presented on your test. 

 

I received the result within 48 hrs (both test date and result date were shown)

 

It's up to you to find a test facility which can provide a result within the required timeframe - the Embassy do not know this information. 

 

Research and find some private health facilities near you and contact them. 

 

Here is an example of the certificate you will / may receive. 

I travelled (repatriation flight) on 19th.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you show\post what the Fit to Fly certificate looks like????  Really curious about that one. Obviously block out any sensitive info?

[glegolo]

5 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Ultimately it depends on the information presented on your test. 

 

I received the result within 48 hrs (both test date and result date were shown)

 

It's up to you to find a test facility which can provide a result within the required timeframe - the Embassy do not know this information. 

 

Research and find some private health facilities near you and contact them. 

 

Here is an example of the certificate you will / may receive. 

I travelled (repatriation flight) on 19th.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is the guys name Krupa Parmar or Rupa Parmar or doesn´t it matter??

 

glegolo

[srowndedbyh2o]

9 hours ago, BritTim said:

Indeed, one of the quick tests (administered at the airport an hour before check in) would make a lot more sense. However, the logistics involved in this would be formidable. The certified quick tests require very expensive equipment.

On Aug. 15 the FDA approved a new rapid test that looks promising. It’s less invasive as it only requires you spit in a cup, and they can run about 90 tests with results in under 3 hours. So far the test looks to be very accurate. They also expect the tests to only cost about $10 U.S.

No word on when/if these tests will go into use, and no idea if Thailand would (in the future) accept/adopt the test.

[BritTim]

59 minutes ago, srowndedbyh2o said:

On Aug. 15 the FDA approved a new rapid test that looks promising. It’s less invasive as it only requires you spit in a cup, and they can run about 90 tests with results in under 3 hours. So far the test looks to be very accurate. They also expect the tests to only cost about $10 U.S.

No word on when/if these tests will go into use, and no idea if Thailand would (in the future) accept/adopt the test.

Getting a little off topic, but ...

 

It would be feasible to manufacture rapid tests based on strip cards (similar to home pregnancy tests) at a cost of about US$1 each. These tests would have a sensitivity about 1,000 times less than RT PCR. However, research has shown that this matters relatively little. Prior to someone becoming infectious, and over a period of less than a day, someone's viral load increases something like a million fold, on average. These less sensitive, but more practical, tests are not available because pharmaceutical companies cannot get certification for them due to their inability to detect very low levels of the virus. It can be argued, in fact, that the RT PCR tests are too sensitive, producing frequent false positives from remnant RNA strains from the deactivated virus for sometimes weeks or months after active infection has ceased.