KUALA LUMPUR – The number of Covid-19 screening conducted by the Health Ministry can appear to be lower than the actual figure due to issues with external laboratories, said Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
He said some private labs are late in updating negative results in the Public Health Laboratory Information System (Simka) daily, especially during the recent holidays.
However, positive cases are swiftly announced, “despite this, the daily screening is in line with World Health Organisation (WHO) benchmarks, and negative cases could be higher than reported”, he tweeted.
He said samples for the RTK Antigen test and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction screening will be tested in a 14-day period.
“I wish to inform you that for the benchmark of Covid-19 tests, WHO has set the sufficient tests for each positive case to be at least 10 negative cases and at best 30 negative cases.”
He said for RTK Antigen testing at home, the issue is still being discussed to determine how it can be recorded in Simka.
“Hope you are informed and this will change the perception of the public.”
Dr Noor Hisham also used his Twitter thread to respond to former health minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad’s question on whether the testing rate is sufficient.
“Cases depend on no. of tests – the more we test, the more +ves we get. Looking at positivity rate, are we testing enough?” Dr Dzulkefly asked Dr Noor Hisham.
Earlier today, The Vibes reported that health experts have noted the dwindling daily positive figures are not an indication that the total lockdown is working, but largely due to reduced testing.
A doctor, who requested anonymity, said any result from the lockdown, which took effect on June 1, can be seen only 14 days after its implementation.
Speaking to The Vibes, he pointed out that a Covid-19-positive patient can be infectious for up to 14 days.
Only if cases begin to drop after this period can the lower infection number be attributed to the strict movement curbs, he said.
Senior consultant paediatrician Datuk Dr Amar-Singh HSS, who echoed the sentiment, said it is meaningless to inform the public that daily infections are declining without adjusting for testing numbers and the positivity rate.
Health Ministry data shows that the number of tests carried out has shrunk in recent days, with 105,293 conducted on June 4, 103,862 (June 5), 89,998 (June 6), 81,708 (June 7) and 77,030 (June 8).
Daily coronavirus cases have dropped in this period, with 7,748 reported on June 4, 7,425 (June 5), 6,241 (June 6) and 5,271 (June 7). They increased slightly to 5,566 on June 8. – The Vibes, June 9, 2021
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