KUCHING, March 11: Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii opined there is a need for constant monitoring and enforcement by authorities to ensure that the Covid-19 test kits available in the market are both sufficient and are of the required quality and sensitivity.
According to Dr Yii, this must be consistent and constant to ensure fake and sub-par products do not flood the market and cause harm to the general public.
“The government should also look at finding ways to reduce the prices of these RTK-antigen (RTK-Ag) self-test kits and even target it to cost lower than RM5 since it will be part of our new way of life especially as we approach endemicity,” he said in a statement today.
Dr Yii added when transitioning into endemicity, the fundamental policy when it comes to testing is the need to move away from the dependency on Rt-PCR and move towards RTK-Ag self-test kits for fast detection and quick isolation especially in dealing with the current Omicron wave and other future variants.
Meanwhile, in response to a recent statement by Tumpat MP Che Abdullah Mat Nawi claiming that RTK-Ag self-test kits are not as accurate as RT-PCR (PCR) test, Dr Yii said Che Abdullah is not accurate in his understanding of epidemiology and infectious disease control.
He explained while it is true that Rt-PCR is more accurate, but the of time it takes to get the results is much longer when the rule of the game is speed.
He pointed out that it is also ultra-sensitive that it may be able to detect dead virus cells that are no longer able to reproduce, and the individual is no longer infectious.
“That is why Rt-PCR now is only limited for overseas travellers and for necessary clinical settings,” he said.
Dr Yii reiterated when in endemicity, the aim is to detect those that are infectious and to have quick intervention to minimise the spread.
He said the sensitivity of RTK-Ag that are approved by Medical Device Authority (MDA) under the Ministry of Health is generally above 90 per cent.
“One way to reduce the chances of false negatives is for individuals to repeat the test on another self-test kit, especially if they are showing symptoms of the virus.
“It is also always safe to lean on side of caution to isolate oneself once there is symptoms especially if they will have regular contact with high risk groups such as the elderly and young children that are unvaccinated,” he said. — DayakDaily
