Deyalsingh: Antigen tests to arrive soon

Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh said his ministry accepted the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO’s) offer to sign on to antigen testing in mid-August.

Deyalsingh made the statement at the ministry’s morning press conference on Wednesday.

He said although some opposition politicians were trying to take ownership of the initiative, PAHO had contacted the ministry in mid-August with a two-week deadline to sign on for antigen testing.

Deyalsingh was alluding to Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s claim that the government’s decision to do antigen testing as part of its response to covid19 was initially the idea of the UNC.

“It’s so sad,” said Deyalsingh. “At least that person realises it's not the sunshine.”

He was referring to statements by Persad-Bissessar that sunlight kills the virus.

He said after accepting the offer, he consulted Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Roshan Parasram and other officials to determine how many tests the ministry would need.

“We came up with 160,000 tests. We have already decided where the tests will be deployed. We have decided the protocols.”

Deyalsingh said the tests have gone into a production line with PAHO's request from other countries.

“Manufacturers don't just produce tests to leave on a shelf. You have to have a firm order which goes into a production line,” he explained.

He said he signed the letter confirming the order on August 28.

“It has to be produced, tested and shipped to our agents and airfreighted to TT,” he said. “We are hoping to have it here in the shortest space of time.”

Parasram explained the serological tests, which are being used at present, test for an antibody.

“An antibody test is not testing for an active disease, it tests for disease ten days to a month after you develop symptoms, or after you are infected and presenting symptoms.”

He said the period during which an antigen test is best used fis within ten days from the onset of symptoms.

He explained “This particular test from the manufacturing site said it would give us 80-90 per cent certainty that we are dealing with covid19, if we are using it on persons that present with signs and symptoms.”

He said it is not to be used on people with no symptoms, adding, “After that, you would have a drop in its sensitivity and specificity. It will give you a large volume of false negatives and false positives.”

He said the group of people it will be used on predominantly would be anyone who has signs and symptoms of covid19.

Parasram said the test would greatly improve the health care system’s ability to produce timely results.

Asked about the backlog of test results that means patients have lengthy waits for results, Parasram said the ministry is looking into it.

"There is a surplus in terms of the way tests are coming in."

He said health centres are doing more tests than they are able to process in one day.

Parasram said county medical officers of health have been working with chiefs of staff to get the results out as quickly as possible.

PAHO director of the Department of Communicable Diseases Dr Marcos Espinal said TT's current testing rate of five per cent was good, as the recommended level was less than ten. But he reiterated that it was still important to increase testing.

"PAHO is already working with the national authorities through our country office to ensure that TT receives antigen testing that has been ordered and (it) should be there anytime soon," he said.