Thailand approves self-tests, self-isolation as COVID-19 cases climb

[webfact]

FILE PHOTO: A man rides his bike on an almost empty road which is usually crowded with people, as lockdown and travel restrictions are imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Bangkok, Thailand, July 12, 2021. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand has given the go-ahead for home isolation of coronavirus patients with mild symptoms and use of home self-test kits, as a stubborn coronavirus outbreak puts pressure on its capital's healthcare and testing capacity.

 

Thailand has so far been predominantly using RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) tests but long queues at testing facilities in Bangkok, the epicentre, have caused a rethink of measures to track infections.

 

The rapid antigen test kits, the approval of which was announced in the official Royal Gazette on Tuesday, should be available in stores next week.

 

A Food and Drug Administration official said efforts were being made to keep the price of the kits, which are less accurate than RT-PCR tests, at around 100 baht ($3.06).

 

Authorities also approved home and community isolation for asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic coronavirus cases, as daily infections of more than 9,000 stretch resources.

 

Thailand recorded 8,685 infections and 56 deaths on Tuesday, among the 353,712 cases and 2,847 fatalities overall, most of which have been since early April.

 

The outbreak was initially fueled by the Alpha variant but 57% of recent cases in Bangkok have been the highly contagious Delta variant, officials say.

 

Thailand has also reported seven cases of suspected mixed infection with the two variants at a Bangkok construction site.

 

($1 = 32.6300 baht)

 

(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Martin Petty)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-07-13

 

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[internationalism]

yesterday those tests were estimated to sell 300-400b.Now below 100b.

But in europe supermarkets they are 30-40b.

Who and how much is making on them?

[GrandPapillon]

good news for Thailand, they are starting to get a clue!!!

[Pattaya Spotter]

Self home isolation has been used by most countries to successfully fight the spread of the Sars-Cov2 virus; with this, hospital resources can be focused on those requiring medical treatment of their symptoms. 

[smedly]

14 minutes ago, GrandPapillon said:

good news for Thailand, they are starting to get a clue!!!

yes a sensible move IMO but they will also lose track of infection numbers, so the daily reported case numbers are now well and truely shafted - not too many believed them anyway

 

The correct way to use these test kits would have been by keeping it official and when someone returns a positive test then do a follow up PCR test to confirm

 

so goodbye to daily case data  

[GrandPapillon]

nobody cares anymore about daily cases and they don't mean anything. The only important metrics is the number of hospitalizations in ICU due to COVID

[HashBrownHarry]

25 minutes ago, internationalism said:

yesterday those tests were estimated to sell 300-400b.Now below 100b.

But in europe supermarkets they are 30-40b.

Who and how much is making on them?

Free in UK.

 

 

[thailandbeachisland]

51 minutes ago, internationalism said:

yesterday those tests were estimated to sell 300-400b.Now below 100b.

But in europe supermarkets they are 30-40b.

Who and how much is making on them?

 

no they cost 5 euros in europe.

 

 

[internationalism]

they used to be around e5. Now around 75 cents 

https://www.lidl.de/c/corona-schnelltests/a10007370?fbclid=IwAR2kEksnbIKX_rTMSM2CsenMewo_2kDc61M-PSiOnFJVJJzvESZ2SqaHdnc

[Moonlover]

This was announced yesterday and in much more detail here.

 

Free Rapid Antigen Tests begin today

[Bkk Brian]

2 hours ago, GrandPapillon said:

nobody cares anymore about daily cases and they don't mean anything. The only important metrics is the number of hospitalizations in ICU due to COVID

I was always under the assumption that the number of cases gives an indication as to the number of hospitalizations into cohort wards and ICU, a kind of warning if you like to prepare.

[tomazbodner]

3 hours ago, internationalism said:

yesterday those tests were estimated to sell 300-400b.Now below 100b.

But in europe supermarkets they are 30-40b.

Who and how much is making on them?

750 baht on Shopee....

[GrandPapillon]

3 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

I was always under the assumption that the number of cases gives an indication as to the number of hospitalizations into cohort wards and ICU, a kind of warning if you like to prepare.

it doesn't prepare you to anything since it's always too late to react or to increase the number of ICU beds

[Bkk Brian]

Just now, GrandPapillon said:

it doesn't prepare you to anything since it's always too late to react or to increase the number of ICU beds

Why? If you have a week of high case counts you can be sure the following week you'll have more need for critical care, you can prepare your staff, facilities and decision making, its pretty basic stuff

[Trip Hop]

10 hours ago, internationalism said:

yesterday those tests were estimated to sell 300-400b.Now below 100b.

But in europe supermarkets they are 30-40b.

Who and how much is making on them?

You won’t get an accurate LFT for less than about £5/6€ each, even if you buy in bulk. The brain tickling free ones in the UK are re-packaged Innova tests, which were recently banned by the FDA in the US. 

[Marco100]

A German friend who had covid did testing with rapid antigen kit 6 times and 6 times was negative while having covid ????????????

[GrandPapillon]

4 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Why? If you have a week of high case counts you can be sure the following week you'll have more need for critical care, you can prepare your staff, facilities and decision making, its pretty basic stuff

yeah, in theory, but when you are at full capacity already, you don't have the personnel to attend more beds, that's what happens in most of Europe and the main reason for the lockdown, to slow the spread of infections so that hospitals weren't over-run with strong cases that needed ICUs. 

[driver52]

9 hours ago, HashBrownHarry said:

Free in UK.

 

 

and useless if they use a >35 cycle test which most of the 'fraudulent hospitals' are

[richard_smith237]

6 minutes ago, driver52 said:

10 hours ago, HashBrownHarry said:

Free in UK.

 

and useless if they use a >35 cycle test which most of the 'fraudulent hospitals' are

Interesting that you think anyone is doing any number of replication cycles on antigen test !!! 

 

Or did you get a little mixed up and believe this thread was about PCR tests?

 

And.. even if you did get mixed up.. Which are the ‘fraudulent hospitals’ carrying out >35 replication cycles for the RT PCR test ??.... OR did you just decide to make load of £$%T up but still manage to get it completely wrong ?

 

 

[sammieuk1]

Will these rules and cost savings be passed on to sandboxers currently standing at 3000bt a pop and off to a ALQ at ridiculous cost if you fail instead of closing the door on the room you have already paid for 

[driver52]

15 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Or did you get a little mixed up and believe this thread was about PCR tests?

ah yeah that's the one!

Point is all these tests appear to be a 'load o cac', money making scams.........I know a family member who was testing negative to free NHS tests and yet testing positive to expensive private tests

Please explain that one to me Doc.....

[impulse]

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court in India is considering capping the price of the more accurate RT-PCR tests at 300 Rs (131 THB), allowing a 50% profit, since they actually cost 150 Rs. (65 THB), including kit + lab costs.

 

That's the test that costs 3,000-5,000 baht in Thailand.

 

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/supreme-court-to-take-up-fresh-plea-seeking-to-fix-maximum-rate-for-rt-pcr-test-to-rs-300/articleshow/83959286.cms

 

Edited July 13, 2021 by impulse

[merijn]

5 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Will these rules and cost savings be passed on to sandboxers currently standing at 3000bt a pop and off to a ALQ at ridiculous cost if you fail instead of closing the door on the room you have already paid for 

Very good point, Then those people could stay in quarantine in their own SHA+ hotel with self test kit supplied and monitored by the government.

Or if applicable let them go to their own house on Phuket for self isolation.

But I'm afraid that this is wishful thinking on my part.

[chesterubi1]

Teenagers are figuring out how to fake positive Covid tests using lemon juice and hacks from TikTok

https://inews.co.uk/news/technology/tiktok-fake-covid-positive-test-schools-1079693

 

[internationalism]

4 hours ago, impulse said:

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court in India is considering capping the price of the more accurate RT-PCR tests at 300 Rs (131 THB), allowing a 50% profit, since they actually cost 150 Rs. (65 THB), including kit + lab costs.

 

That's the test that costs 3,000-5,000 baht in Thailand.

 

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/supreme-court-to-take-up-fresh-plea-seeking-to-fix-maximum-rate-for-rt-pcr-test-to-rs-300/articleshow/83959286.cms

 

that is 100% profit

[RayD]

Good news for me. My biggest fear was getting a positive test and being forced to isolate with a bunch of sick people.

[Rocking Robert]

6 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Interesting that you think anyone is doing any number of replication cycles on antigen test !!! 

 

Or did you get a little mixed up and believe this thread was about PCR tests?

 

And.. even if you did get mixed up.. Which are the ‘fraudulent hospitals’ carrying out >35 replication cycles for the RT PCR test ??.... OR did you just decide to make load of £$%T up but still manage to get it completely wrong ?

 

 

And here I thought the taxpayers are paying for that

[merijn]

8 minutes ago, RayD said:

Good news for me. My biggest fear was getting a positive test and being forced to isolate with a bunch of sick people.

Until it is confirmed that this is also applicable for us it's still straight to the hospital or quarantine hotel I'm afraid.

[nickmondo]

17 hours ago, internationalism said:

yesterday those tests were estimated to sell 300-400b.Now below 100b.

But in europe supermarkets they are 30-40b.

Who and how much is making on them?

dont waste your 100 baht mate, the tests are not accurate.

 

[RayD]

Fortunately I live alone out in the sticks ...