PM urges Health Ministry to crack down on sales of sub-standard ATKs

[snoop1130]

 

BANGKOK (NNT) - Cases of false-positive results from sub-standard COVID-19 antigen test kits have recently made the news, with affected people later tested negative from confirmatory RT-PCR tests. Thailand’s Prime Minister has urged the Ministry of Public Health to regulate the quality of test kits available in the market to ensure accurate results and the safety of users.

 

Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has encouraged the general public to select only COVID-19 antigen test kits (ATK) authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

 

The Prime Minister ordered Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul to regulate the quality of test kits available in the market, and prosecute those selling unauthorized kits.

 

The Department of Health Service Support has recently asked healthcare facilities to verify the source of medical equipment and vaccines provided to the general public.

 

Supha Saokaeo, a drug store owner in Hat Yai, Songkhla, said her shop has seen high demands for test kits, with around 500 kits sold here each month at between 90-150 baht apiece.

 

She said her shop only sells test kits authorized by the Thai FDA and the Ministry of Public Health while commenting that negative results could occur from the use of low-quality kits, or improper handle and storage of the kits.

 

Customers can check the Thai FDA’s website for approved self-test kits. They should also purchase the kits from reputable sellers to ensure the quality of products.

 

Dr. Sumanee Wacharasint, Department of Disease Control’s (DDC) communications director and deputy spokesperson of the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration, said the department is recommending antigen tests by people with exposure risks, people with suspicious symptoms, and at workplaces.

 

She said the antigen test is one of the preventative measures implemented alongside the COVID-Free Setting policy, adding that the test can be conducted weekly, or as frequently as required.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-11-11

 

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[Bkk Brian]

26 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

The Prime Minister ordered Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul to regulate the quality of test kits available in the market, and prosecute those selling unauthorized kits.

If you were to open your eyes a little you'll find out it was Anutin that ordered millions of the sub standard kits from China despite warnings not to do so by the Rural Doctors Society.

[Chad3000]

Said it before and I'll say it again. This guy has his nose in everything. I expect he thinks it looks like he's on top of current issues but it's so weak and ephemeral.

 

MOPH Minister or underling should be handling this. FDA... whatever.

 

Prime Minister should not be blabbering on about counterfeit ATK tests, coriander or anything like this. It's practically gossip.

 

Blah blah blah blah blah

[Wiggy]

You reap what you sow. When corruption is rampant, expect everyone to want a place at the trough. 

[RichardColeman]

Check the government warehouse, you'll find about a billion of them

[ausbeat999]

The PCR test was never designed for this purpose anyway, anything will set off a false positive [orange juice] [bread].  thats way most countries have thrown them away. They also cycle or amplify them at 44 to 46 cycles, when the recomended cycle is 24 . at 44 cycles they can find the bubonic plague under your armpit. Its a scam.

[scorecard]

Urged to monitor quality...

 

I guess that means there's no quality check right now.

 

Why am I not surprised?

[scorecard]

44 minutes ago, ausbeat999 said:

The PCR test was never designed for this purpose anyway, anything will set off a false positive [orange juice] [bread].  thats way most countries have thrown them away. They also cycle or amplify them at 44 to 46 cycles, when the recomended cycle is 24 . at 44 cycles they can find the bubonic plague under your armpit. Its a scam.

OK, but surely the technology already 'invented' can be enhanced to provide much more reliable results.

 

In fact a bit surprising that an enterprising designed/manufacturer hasn't already done that, after all the possible global revenues are absolutely enormous and no doubt the designers/manufacturers could lodge intellectual property rights etc.

 

 

[scorecard]

4 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Check the government warehouse, you'll find about a billion of them

Sure, and someone has already counted their commissions.

[hotchilli]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The Prime Minister ordered Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul to regulate the quality of test kits available in the market, and prosecute those selling unauthorized kits

Yet another order from above.

Why doesn't the government procure them and give them out free of charge.

Then the dodgy second hand fake ones would not be sold.

[MrJ2U]

14 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

If you were to open your eyes a little you'll find out it was Anutin that ordered millions of the sub standard kits from China despite warnings not to do so by the Rural Doctors Society.

And the USA's FDA who banned them because of false positive results.

[Clarkey611]

Where is a comment from a nut in charge when you need one? Oh, a nut is in his counting house, counting out his money!

[elgenon]

The Health Minister may be on to something. Not sure. 555

[tonysilly]

Amazing Thailand.  Always protecting its people !!

[mikeymike100]

2 hours ago, scorecard said:

OK, but surely the technology already 'invented' can be enhanced to provide much more reliable results.

 

In fact a bit surprising that an enterprising designed/manufacturer hasn't already done that, after all the possible global revenues are absolutely enormous and no doubt the designers/manufacturers could lodge intellectual property rights etc.

 

 

Isn't That what an antigen test is now?

Edited November 12, 2021 by mikeymike100

[PETERTHEEATER]

20 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

If you were to open your eyes a little you'll find out it was Anutin that ordered millions of the sub standard kits from China despite warnings not to do so by the Rural Doctors Society.

What? Tell me this is not so! (Wrings hands in anguish)......????

[PETERTHEEATER]

11 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Check the government warehouse, you'll find about a billion of them

I've  told you a trillion times not to exaggerate....

[KhunBENQ]

And how do I find out which are substandard?

The "CIGA Chek" "TESTSEALABS" as sold by 7/11?

 

Don't tell me! My test was negative

I still have 5 high priced Roche kits on stock (1200 for 5).

 

[Meat Pie 47]

6 hours ago, Clarkey611 said:

Where is a comment from a nut in charge when you need one? Oh, a nut is in his counting house, counting out his money!

no, in Switzerland

[NoshowJones]

"The Prime Minister ordered Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul to regulate the quality of test kits available in the market, and prosecute those selling unauthorized kits."

"Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul" Is this the DPM or is the DPM still that guy with the long funny name? ????

[Saanim]

On 11/11/2021 at 5:54 PM, Bkk Brian said:

If you were to open your eyes a little you'll find out it was Anutin that ordered millions of the sub standard kits from China despite warnings not to do so by the Rural Doctors Society.

Why not to order the kits from a more reliable country? Is there any?

 

FDA recalling 2 million Ellume at-home COVID-19 test kits because of false positives

November 11, 20215:19 AM ET

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced a recall of about 2 million at-home COVID-19 test kits made by the Australian-based biotech company Ellume.

The federal regulatory agency says the test kits may produce "false positives" due to a manufacturing defect. The company first informed the FDA about the defect in some lots in October.

On Wednesday, the FDA said it had identified additional lots that have been affected by the manufacturing defect. The defective tests were manufactured by Ellume between Feb. 24, 2021 and Aug. 11, 2021. So far, 35 false positives from these tests have been reported to the FDA.

The FDA described the recall of the Ellume tests as "the most serious type," known as a Class I recall.

Earlier this year, the Biden administration cut a $231.8 million deal with Ellume to boost the availability of the tests in the U.S. market. Ellume's contract with the Department of Defense and Department of Health and Human Services helped fund the company's first plant in the country, which opened in Frederick, Maryland in May.

https://www.npr.org/2021/11/11/1054606822/fda-recalling-2-million-ellume-at-home-covid-19-test-kits-because-of-false-posit

 

[Bkk Brian]

42 minutes ago, Saanim said:

Why not to order the kits from a more reliable country? Is there any?

 

FDA recalling 2 million Ellume at-home COVID-19 test kits because of false positives

November 11, 20215:19 AM ET

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced a recall of about 2 million at-home COVID-19 test kits made by the Australian-based biotech company Ellume.

The federal regulatory agency says the test kits may produce "false positives" due to a manufacturing defect. The company first informed the FDA about the defect in some lots in October.

On Wednesday, the FDA said it had identified additional lots that have been affected by the manufacturing defect. The defective tests were manufactured by Ellume between Feb. 24, 2021 and Aug. 11, 2021. So far, 35 false positives from these tests have been reported to the FDA.

The FDA described the recall of the Ellume tests as "the most serious type," known as a Class I recall.

Earlier this year, the Biden administration cut a $231.8 million deal with Ellume to boost the availability of the tests in the U.S. market. Ellume's contract with the Department of Defense and Department of Health and Human Services helped fund the company's first plant in the country, which opened in Frederick, Maryland in May.

https://www.npr.org/2021/11/11/1054606822/fda-recalling-2-million-ellume-at-home-covid-19-test-kits-because-of-false-posit

 

Difference being this was a manufacturing defect that was discovered and when it was they were then recalled. Thailand ordered test kits from China knowing already they were sub standard and had been rejected in the US and India, plus were not WHO approved.

[mbenson]

5 hours ago, possum1931 said:

"The Prime Minister ordered Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul to regulate the quality of test kits available in the market, and prosecute those selling unauthorized kits."

"Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul" Is this the DPM or is the DPM still that guy with the long funny name? ????

Unfortunately, the authorized kits are not good either.

 

[scorecard]

On 11/12/2021 at 12:16 PM, MrJ2U said:

And the USA's FDA who banned them because of false positive results.

And very likely this generated big improvements, which are in the interests of the designer/manufacturer to gain massive global revenues. 

[MrJ2U]

20 minutes ago, scorecard said:

And very likely this generated big improvements, which are in the interests of the designer/manufacturer to gain massive global revenues. 

Probably not.

 

Huge false positives from them now in Thailand.

 

Repeated Tests Confirm No COVID with Mukdahan Students

https://tna.mcot.net/english-news-817104

Edited November 14, 2021 by MrJ2U

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, MrJ2U said:

Probably not.

 

Huge false positives from them now in Thailand.

 

Repeated Tests Confirm No COVID with Mukdahan Students

https://tna.mcot.net/english-news-817104

The report is dated 5 November, the actual events involved 7 to 14 days before that.

 

There's already big improvements in the accuracy/reliability of quick report tests and it will no doubt get even better. 

[Danderman123]

On 11/12/2021 at 7:05 AM, ausbeat999 said:

The PCR test was never designed for this purpose anyway, anything will set off a false positive [orange juice] [bread].  thats way most countries have thrown them away. They also cycle or amplify them at 44 to 46 cycles, when the recomended cycle is 24 . at 44 cycles they can find the bubonic plague under your armpit. Its a scam.

You are posting misinformation. 

 

Your assertions don't make any sense at all. If PCR Tests don't work, how do you explain the millions of people who got a positive result from PCR and then developed Covid symptoms? Or went into ICU? 

[MrJ2U]

4 hours ago, scorecard said:

The report is dated 5 November, the actual events involved 7 to 14 days before that.

 

There's already big improvements in the accuracy/reliability of quick report tests and it will no doubt get even better. 

I'm sure it will.

 

I don't buy Chinese test kits though.  Chinese tend to cut corners on everything.

 

 

 

They have ones made in South Korea and Germany available for slightly more at Watsons.

 

Hopefully niether of us feel the need to use the tests.