Rapid covid19 test in Bangkok?

[RotBenz8888]

Where in Bkk can I do a rapid covid19 test, result in 1-2h?

[Sheryl]

What sort of test? Antibody or antigen?

 

Rapid antigen tests are not very reliable.

 

Are you needing this for teavel purposes? As most countries/airlines that require testing will insist on a PCR. Which is physically impossible to do that quickly.

[RotBenz8888]

Rapid antigen test would be fine in this case. There's no such facility at Suwanapumi. Do you know of any hospital that provides it? 

 

".. all air passengers traveling to Denmark must present negative COVID-19 tests performed within 24 hours before boarding the aircraft." 

"There is currently no requirement for the COVID-19 test to be of a specific type. This must be a test that can show whether the person is infected with COVID-19. This means that, for example, both PCR tests and antigen tests are accepted in connection with entry, whereas antibody tests do not meet the requirement. Name of the person tested, time of testing and issuer of the certificate must be clearly stated."

 

https://coronasmitte.dk/rejser-ind-i-danmark/for-personer-der-rejser-til-danmark-med-fly

[richard_smith237]

19 minutes ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Rapid antigen test would be fine in this case. There's no such facility at Suwanapumi. Do you know of any hospital that provides it? 

 

".. all air passengers traveling to Denmark must present negative COVID-19 tests performed within 24 hours before boarding the aircraft." 

"There is currently no requirement for the COVID-19 test to be of a specific type. This must be a test that can show whether the person is infected with COVID-19. This means that, for example, both PCR tests and antigen tests are accepted in connection with entry, whereas antibody tests do not meet the requirement. Name of the person tested, time of testing and issuer of the certificate must be clearly stated."

 

https://coronasmitte.dk/rejser-ind-i-danmark/for-personer-der-rejser-til-danmark-med-fly

 

What is the difference between the antigen & antibody tests ?????

 

 

Edited January 11, 2021 by richard_smith237

[richard_smith237]

17 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Where in Bkk can I do a rapid covid19 test, result in 1-2h?

The fastest turnaround time I have read of for a RT PCR test is 24hrs 

(Throat & nasal swab to check for the presence of covid-19)

 

The antibody test result is relatively instantaneous (takes about 20mins)(blood test to check that the patient has had covid-19 recently) 

 

Your best bet is to call the hospitals directly: Bumrungrad, Samitivej, BNH, Bangkok Hospital. It’s also with giving the hospital at Mahidol medical centre a call. 

Edited January 11, 2021 by richard_smith237

[RotBenz8888]

4 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

The fastest turnaround time I have read of for a RT PCR test is 24hrs 

 

The antigen test result is relatively instantaneous (takes about 20mins).

 

Find out which type you need. 

I need a rapid antigen test. Question is where I can get it done? 

[richard_smith237]

Another point but slightly off topic.
 

Wouldn’t anyone who’s received the Covid-19 vaccine test positive for both the PCR & Antibody tests?  
That’d be a bit of a bummer if a negative test is required for travel. 

(just a thought for those planning on returning following current requirements after receiving the vaccine) 

[RotBenz8888]

55 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Another point but slightly off topic.
 

Wouldn’t anyone who’s received the Covid-19 vaccine test positive for both the PCR & Antibody tests?  
That’d be a bit of a bummer if a negative test is required for travel. 

(just a thought for those planning on returning following current requirements after receiving the vaccine) 

The viral tests(pcr/antigen) will not turn positive, but perhaps the antibody test. 

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/facts.html#:~:text=After getting a COVID-19,19 on a viral test%3F&text=If your body develops an,positive on some antibody tests.

[Sheryl]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

What is the difference between the antigen & antibody tests ?????

 

 

 

An antigen tests identified whether the antigen (COVID-19 virus) is present so is a marker for current infection. There are 2 types: the PCR, which is them is accurate but time consuming to perform, and rapid tests which have much lower accuracy.

 

An antibody test tests for presence of antibodies the body has formed in response to a current or past infection. It cannot distinguish between current and past infection and will also tend to be negative in early stages of infection.  in addiiton it is unbclear howl ong antibodies poersist so may nto be that useful in determining if ever exposed to the virus.

[Sheryl]

2 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

I need a rapid antigen test. Question is where I can get it done? 

 

All the facilities I know of are doing PCR not rapid test.

 

Bangkok Hospital  claims to get results within 24 hours.   https://www.bangkokhospital.com/en/package/covid-19-testing-package

 

The much less expensive Thai Travel Clinic at Mahidol also says next day results  https://www.thaitravelclinic.com/FrontNews/covid19-med-certificate-en-2.html

 

Between lack of availability and risk of a false positive result I think you would do best to forget the rapid antigen test idea and just get PCR

[RotBenz8888]

20 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Between lack of availability and risk of a false positive result I think you would do best to forget the rapid antigen test idea and just get PCR

You're right, I understand the risk of false positives are quite high, although I haven't seen the actual number. 

On the other hand, the demand of taking the test within 24h before boarding is impossible to make if it's a PCR. 

[Sheryl]

28 minutes ago, RotBenz8888 said:

You're right, I understand the risk of false positives are quite high, although I haven't seen the actual number. 

On the other hand, the demand of taking the test within 24h before boarding is impossible to make if it's a PCR. 

I suspect there is a phrasing/translation   issue here and that what they mean is that the report of the test must be issued within 24 hours of departure (already a very difficult thing to ensure, but possible).

 

While the English version says "negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 24 hours before entry." it appears possible to also translate the the Danish version  as "proof/report of a negative COVID test made no more than 24 hours" i.e. could be taken toi mean the report was issued no more than 24 houyrts before, which makes much more sense.

 

Is it possible to contact the airlines and ask?

[Peter Denis]

22 hours ago, Sheryl said:

An antigen tests identified whether the antigen (COVID-19 virus) is present so is a marker for current infection. There are 2 types: the PCR, which is them is accurate but time consuming to perform, and rapid tests which have much lower accuracy.

...

@Sheryl > Hi Sheryl, you have written many times on the Forum that PCR tests conducted in Thailand are accurate (meaning low risk of a 'false positive').  But I have some questions and comments on that issue and hope you will shed some light on this.

I have read in several publications that the PCR test is meant to support a medical diagnosis (when you have symptoms), but it is currently being used as a 'reliable' indicator to determine if you might be infectuous even when showing no sympoms (although the test cannot distinguish between having been infected by covid or another flu-variant and being covid-infectuous).

On top of that, its accuracy is highly dependent on it being used in a standardized way.  Especially the number of cycle-times is important.  Results of the PCR-test should be determined after max 30-35 cycle-times.  Higher than 35 cycle-times, the results become unreliable (which is worrying as many laboratories are using 45 cycle-times, thus enormously increasing the risks for false positves ).  To put it in lay man's terms > Under 30 cycle-times the PCR test will find NOBODY is positive, and at 60 cycle-times EVERYBODY will test positive (obviously a false result).

So the million dollar questions are >

1 - When a PCR test is done in Thailand, does the laboratory result mention the number of cycle-times they used to get that result?

2 - What is the 'standard' number of cycle-tests used in Thai laboratories that analyze PCR-test results? 

[RotBenz8888]

3 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

(although the test cannot distinguish between having been infected by covid or another flu-variant and being covid-infectuous).

Peter! 

Could you please elaborate. Are you saying the PCR test can't distinguish between different kinds of virus types? 

 

[Peter Denis]

48 minutes ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Peter! 

Could you please elaborate. Are you saying the PCR test can't distinguish between different kinds of virus types?

Sorry for any confusion caused. 

I should have written > the test cannot distinguish between having been infected by covid and being covid-infectuous.  But the PCR-test can distinguish between covid-19 RNA and that from other flu variants.

[RotBenz8888]

10 hours ago, Sheryl said:

I suspect there is a phrasing/translation   issue here and that what they mean is that the report of the test must be issued within 24 hours of departure (already a very difficult thing to ensure, but possible).

 

While the English version says "negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 24 hours before entry." it appears possible to also translate the the Danish version  as "proof/report of a negative COVID test made no more than 24 hours" i.e. could be taken toi mean the report was issued no more than 24 houyrts before, which makes much more sense.

 

Is it possible to contact the airlines and ask?

I just got a reply from the Danish authorities:The 24h limit is from when the test sample is taken, not when the report is issued. Very narrow. 

[Sheryl]

First of all you need to understand what a PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) is.

 

It is a technique to amplify the amount of a specific DNA present in a sample so that it can then be measured.  In the case of viruses, a reverse transcriptase procedure is used first (RT-PCT) to make DNA from the virus's RNA since viruses do not have DNA. 

 

PCR is not COVID specific nor is it new. It has been around for some time and is widely used in early diagnosis of HIV and certain other diseases where the quantity of virus or bacteria present is often too low to be readily seen otherwise. It is also used for tissue typing to identify transplant donor. The specific DNA that is amplified depends on what is being looked for, it can be done for anything for which the genetic sequencing has been mapped.

 

A great deal of misinformation is being circulated about  the COVID RT-PCR test, mainly by COVID deniers/conspiracy theorists but also due to people not fully understanding the statements of medical people or taking/hearing their words out of context.

 

It is absolutely untrue that PCR is useful only to confirm a diagnosis for which there are clinical symptoms present. In fact, PCR is widely used to diagnosis conditions that are asymptomatic. It is the Gold Standard for diagnosing HIV in people whose viral loads are too low to be otherwise detected, including infants born to HIVC positive mothers and people seeking to rule out HIV within a short time of exposure.

 

It is also completely untrue that "with enough amplifications anything can be found on a PCR test" which  is another myth being kicked around. PCR simply amplifies what is there so that it can be seen, basically like a magnifying glass.It can't make present something that is not there to begin with.

 

What is true is that, for self-limiting diseases or diseases for which the period of infectivity is limited,   a positive PCR test does not necessarily mean a person is infectious.  Because the test identifies the presence of viral genetic material, it can sometimes pick up fragments of dead virus in people who had COVID but who have since  recovered from active viral infection with SARS-CoV-2. COVID (though not necessarily recovered  from COVID disease  that;s a whole other and very complicated mater we are still in early stages of understanding). 

 

It is more likely to pick up what are only dead virus fragments when a high number amplification cycles are used, and the number of  amplifications (called the cycle threshold or Ct) for each test is known.  No absolute Ct cut off value has been established to distinguish between active infection and left over dead virus matter, but this information can nonethless be helpful in combination with  the patient's history of possible exposure  and indeed, there have been cases in Thailand where health authorities determined that the patient's positive result was probably reflective of an old rather than current infection. These were cases with high Ct, no recent  known exposure to infected people or recent travel in an area of active COVID transmission , but past known travel to such areas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sheryl]

17 minutes ago, RotBenz8888 said:

I just got a reply from the Danish authorities:The 24h limit is from when the test sample is taken, not when the report is issued. Very narrow. 

 

Almost impossible to comply with using a PCR test. I don't know of any other country doing that.

 

All I have left to suggest is that you contact the airlines and see if they know of any place to get a rapid antigen test. If you find out, please post here.

[RotBenz8888]

The PCR test is presented like RT-PCR/RT-qPCR SARS CoV-2 pos/neg on the lab report. 

 

But how does the result for a rapid antigen test look like? 

 

 

Edited January 13, 2021 by RotBenz8888

[RotBenz8888]

There are rapid RT-PCR test too, perhaps not available in Thailand yet. 

 

"Physicians Immediate Care offers the Abbott ID NOW COVID-19 Molecular PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test with results in under 15 minutes. " 

 

 

https://physiciansimmediatecare.com/covid-19-molecular-testing-2/