“Don’t try this at home,” Thai FDA warns against self-diagnosis using Covid-19 rapid test

PHOTO: Nation Thailand

With Covid-19 rapid test kits now available online, the Thai Food and Drug Administration is warning the public not to use the tests at home, unless they are a medical professional.

Now that Thailand is experiencing a new wave of infections, with active cases exceeding 4,000, far higher than the first wave’s peak of 1,451 active cases in April, FDA secretary general Surachoke Tangwiwat says many people are buying rapid test kits online and performing the tests themselves.

Surachoke says rapid tests detect a change in a person’s immunity level, not the actual virus. He says doctors and experienced health technicians need to analyse the result to make sure there isn’t a misdiagnosis.

“In some cases, test-takers found the results to be negative, but in fact they had just contracted the virus and it could spread to others if they do not isolate themselves.”

He adds that the Ministry of Public Health announced that Covid-19 rapid test kits are only allowed to be sold to hospitals, clinics or licensed medical professionals and all rapid test kit sales must be reported to the FDA.

People who came in close contact with a Covid-19 patient or travelled to areas classified as a “red zone” and at a high risk for Covid-19 and then started experiencing flu-like symptoms, should be tested for the virus at a hospital. Common Covid-19 symptoms are fever, loss of taste, cough, sore throat and muscle ache.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand

Catch up with the latest daily “Thailand News Today” here on The Thaiger.

Covid-19 NewsThailand News

Thaiger Talk

Join the conversation and have your say on Thailand news published on The Thaiger.

Thaiger Talk is our new Thaiger Community where you can join the discussion on everything happening in Thailand right now.

Please note that articles are not posted to the forum instantly and can take up to 20 min before being visible. Click for more information and the Thaiger Talk Guidelines.

20 Comments

Leave a Reply

Caitlin Ashworth

Caitlin Ashworth is a writer from the United States who has lived in Thailand since 2018. She graduated from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and media studies in 2016. She was a reporter for the Daily Hampshire Gazette In Massachusetts. She also interned at the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia and Sarasota Herald-Tribune in Florida.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply