Parasram: Private labs did over 30,000 covid19 tests

FROM Sunday to Monday, the Ministry of Health's tally of covid19 tests done since March increased by 30,892 tests.

But Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Roshan Parasram on Tuesday told Newsday nothing was amiss with the data.

On Sunday at 4pm, the ministry’s covid19 update indicated 39,260 "total persons tested" to date, but by Monday evening this figure had leapt to 70,152 tests.

The Monday figures also showed 12 more individuals testing positive, for a total since March of 7,012 people. The death toll was 125 people, indicating two more deaths by Monday, plus 6,471 patients recovered and 416 active cases.

Parasram told Newsday the huge increase in number of tests done happened because of a recent decision to start to include tests done in private labs.

"I had always spoken of private testing and we decided to include it in the update," he said.

"The numbers we had before were for public-sector tests only."

Parasram said the inclusion of private lab results was done because of the infrequency of the ministry's covid19 briefings, now held Monday, Wednesday and Saturday rather than daily as previously.

He said tests in the private sector accounts for just under 50 per cent of the total.

Clearly alluding to 7,012 positive cases out of 70,152 total tests, he said, "Ten per cent of all viral illnesses that present themselves have been positive, 90 per cent being something else.

"It gives everyone accurate information. You can look at the percentages and the total number of tests and get an idea of what kind of positives we have."

The ministry’s website says samples are tested at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA); UWI molecular laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences; the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex; Sangre Grande Hospital; and Scarborough General Hospital.

In addition, sample testing was scheduled to start at the San Fernando General Hospital, while testing was also done in the non-governmental sector at the Medical Research Foundation. The ministry listed approved private facilities as St Augustine Medical Laboratories Ltd, Victoria Laboratories Ltd and Caribbean Forensic Services.

Newsday asked of any concern about the effectiveness of covid19 vaccines against a new strain now in the UK. Parasram replied, "It is a little too early to say what will be the effect of the new strain on the vaccination programme.

“They have to do research on the people who have been vaccinated to see if the efficacy is still there and what sort of protection it would afford to individuals who would have had that strain." He said, in the UK some 1,138 people had the new strain.

"The chance of those individuals being vaccinated and followed to the end point to see if their immunity would have changed based on the variance, it is a bit too early in the day to tell."

Newsday asked about British media reports of richer countries dominating access to Covax – an arrangement intended to ensure global equity in access to the vaccine.

Parasram replied that those vaccines whose developers had chosen to go onto the Covax programme would provide equitable distribution.

"Pfizer is not part of Covax at this point. If they come onto Covax, it will allow equitable distribution.

"Nothing restrains any country from purchasing any of the vaccines privately." He said vaccine producers can benefit from Covax membership.

"Once you are onto the Covax facility there will be endorsement from the WHO by way of safety and efficacy. There will be a certain level of confidence at a population level, at a country level, once the WHO has put their stamp of approval. It gives you that assurance, which is something well worth the wait. This is something new to the world and we want to see what is happening.

"So we really hope that Covax does exactly what it is meant to do and TT will be party to it."

He expected more elaboration on the issue at a media briefing hosted by the Prime Minister on Wednesday.