Experience shows targeted tests better than mass screening, says DG

CORONAVIRUS | The Health Ministry has found that targeted Covid-19 testing on high-risk groups and sites yields a much better result than embarking on mass testing activities.

Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah told a press conference today that their experience at enhanced MCO areas showed that mass testing only returned a detection rate of 0.5 percent.

This, he stressed, was much lower than the 5.8 percent positive rate they managed to detect by testing only targeted groups.

"During the (active tracing activities at areas under) enhanced MCO, we screen everybody whether they are symptomatic or not symptomatic, whether they are from high-risk groups or not. For example, in Simpang Renggam and Hulu Langat, we are doing that.

"What we found is that when we screen everybody in that area, our detection rate is not 5.8 percent.

"We only found that 0.5 percent (from all tested) are positive. Means the detection rate is very low," he said in Putrajaya.

Noor Hisham (photo) was responding to a reporter's question whether Malaysia might see a spike in positive cases due to its practice of testing only those who are symptomatic.

As of noon today, the health authority has taken a total of 83,488 samples for Covid-19 detection. Of this figure, 4,817 tested for the virus.

The general practice by the Ministry of Health (MOH) for non-enhanced MCO areas is that only those who have symptoms and have a history of travel overseas, especially to high-risk countries, or had contact with known positive patients, would be tested for the virus.

For the record, as of today, MOH relies on reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test to detect Covid-19 virus. The ministry has yet to employ the practice of using rapid test kits for detection as all products that they have tested so far have low sensitivity.

Noor Hisham said data showed MOH's targeted approach is more effective, especially with the limited resources available today.

"That is from the experience at enhanced MCO regions. Because in these areas, we screen everybody.

"This is the data showing us whether we should embark on testing everybody or focus on the site or focus on high-risk groups," he added.

PPE stock only enough for two weeks

Meanwhile, asked about the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) at hospitals nationwide, Noor Hisham said the number of PPE being used at this juncture has increased up to 10 fold of their normal daily use.

"We use PPE every day. It's different with ventilators which we already have enough and there's no need to add any more. But PPE is a consumable because we use them every day.

"The use has increased up to 10 fold more than normal. What is important is that we have to continuously get PPE supplied to central and state levels," he said.

The top MOH officer also welcomed the help of NGOs and urged them to donate PPE to the ministry.

"For now, we have a supply that can last for two weeks. But we are still doing procurement and will arrange for all state and hospitals. - Mkini