(วันก่อนให้สัมภาษณ์กับสำนักข่าว บางกอกโพสต์ มาครับ) Assoc Prof Jessada Denduangboripant, a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Science, said self-testing is better than not testing at all or self-monitoring for symptoms because most people are asymptomatic.
However, users must be careful about false positives. Those who test positive should reconfirm their status with an RT-PCR test in hospitals and labs.
Similarly, those who test negative but are at risk of infection must self-test again three or four days later when the level of the virus is higher and can be detected.
"You might test negative but you should assume that you can be positive anytime. Even if you test positive (false-negative result), the process will help screen out those who are actually infected," he said.
Last week, the FDA approved the registration of five antigen test kits for home use. They are currently being sold at around 250 baht per piece.
However, those at high risk should contact local clinics and hospitals for free rapid testing.
The National Health Security Office (NHSO) also approved the purchase of over 8.5 million home-test kits at a cost of around one billion baht to be given to Thais and migrant workers next month.
However, the government must take more actions to expand access to self-test kits because though they are less sensitive, they are cheaper and more readily available than RT-PCR tests.
The FDA and the NHSO said they will likely fix the price of the kits at 100 baht apiece to ensure affordability and prices will go down when more supply hits the market.
"Provincial and local administrations should spend their budget on self-testing rather than spraying disinfectants. The mass testing at Talad Thai is a very good model to follow as visitors are screened for free. If the government subsidises this scheme, it will increase accessibility," Jessada said.
Vulnerable groups will benefit from free coronavirus testing. He added that the rate of screening in migrant workers will be increased because companies can now afford tests.
In the past, they offered very limited testing due to high costs, which led to the emergence of clusters of infections.
He stressed that the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) must implement self-testing and home isolation plan nationwide because officials are using this method to ease the burden of RT-PCR testing.
The hospitalisation of asymptomatic and mild patients has overstretched the public health system.
"In foreign countries, they are being treated at home. We must get used to home isolation. Moreover, the requirement that providers of RT-PCR tests must admit positive cases should be scrapped," he added.
Those who test positive using self-test kits can contact the NHSO on its hotline 1330 or via its website crmsup.nhso.go.th for home isolation.
Currently, only patients in Bangkok and adjacent provinces are being treated at home and in the community. People in other provinces are being treated in hospitals and field hospitals as usual.
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