Rapid home COVID tests cleared for use
(CNS): Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee “has endorsed lateral flow tests for fast identification of positive cases” of COVID-19, according to a press release from government Wednesday. Three lateral flow tests have been initially identified for use by the HSA and guidance for purchasing the tests has been issued ahead of regulations that will be implemented to manage their use. Seen as a very useful tool for living with COVID, they will help avoid large numbers of people isolating for long periods unnecessarily.
The easy to use tests allow people to quickly check at home whether or not they are positive, enabling the public to remain aware of their own COVID-19 status, allowing them to move freely and offer a first line test to avoid going to healthcare facilities after potential exposure to the virus unless the home test proves to be positive.
“The SARS-CoV-2 rapid test kits, also known as lateral flow tests or antigen tests, are a positive step for the country,” Dr Lee said following the announcement that the tests have been cleared for use. “There have been significant improvements in the sensitivity and specificity of lateral flow tests, and we have seen that they can successfully assist in quickly identifying potential positives in the community.”
The HSA has picked three types of kits based on recommendations and proven outcomes as noted by the regulatory bodies at World Health Organization (WHO) and the UK Health Security Agency (formerly known as Public Health England). These tests are the ACON Biotech Flowflex SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test, the Bioperfectus Technologies Novel Corona Virus Ag Rapid Test kit and the Hughes Veritas Rapid Antigen Test for SARS-CoV-2.
“While PCR tests remain the highest standard for accuracy and confidence, lateral flow tests provide the confidence to allow us to safely and successfully resume many activities that are impacted by the current Regulations,” Dr Lee said as he revealed thee formal introduction of lateral flow tests as part of the COVID control strategy.
HSA Medical Director Dr Delroy Jefferson said the HSA will incorporate lateral flow testing as part of the testing regime and will also provide validation for tests beyond the three kits identified. He said that vendors who are interested in having other kits considered are asked to liaise with the HSA to have them reviewed by the laboratory.
There are numerous rapid tests available on the market but there are variations in testing accuracy, quality and intended use claims. As a result, Public Health will only be endorsing certain types of tests as stated in the guidelines.
Premier Wayne Panton, who had revealed the plan to roll out rapid testing in Parliament, said the strategy remains the same: putting the health and safety of all people in our country as the highest priority.
“The rapid test kits will help to provide a level of reassurance for individuals as they go about their daily lives but also provides additional information to guide the policies this government is putting in place to protect us all,” he said. “I encourage all persons to familiarise yourselves with the personal safety steps and ensure that you have a preparedness plan in the event the virus reaches your household.
“Throughout the pandemic, personal responsibility has been a key factor in the suppression of COVID in our community. As we slowly resume travel and further open our borders, it is even more important for us to recommit to our individual responsibility to ensure the safety of ourselves and those we interact with through our daily lives.”
Panton also stated in the LA that importing the kits would begin right away, but there is no indication from officials when they will be available and whether access to the kits will be made free to members of the public, and if not how much they will cost. CNS has asked for more information and is awaiting a response.
For more information on safety guidelines and what you can do to be prepared, please visit the official site: www.exploregov.ky/coronavirus
See Guidance for purchasing Lateral Flow Tests, which is in the CNS Library.
For more info visit the CIG coronavirus pages.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Category: Health, Medical Health
This is BS and these self-test kits should’ve never been allowed or approved for Cayman.
There are many people – sociopathic, simply stupid, or otherwise – who will self-test, come up positive and simply go about life like usual, telling NO ONE but putting EVERYONE they encounter at risk!
And NO ONE in Government thought of this?
If I test positive on this test you can be damm sure I am not going to get a PCR test so they can lock me down.
And that is gonna be the problem… chances are if you test positive you have got it. I’f you test positive and subsequently test negative with a PCR what’s the problem?
Lee Health [FL] reports 101 COVID-19 patients Thursday, urges flu shots.
https://www.winknews.com/2021/10/07/lee-health-reports-101-covid-19-patients-thursday-urges-flu-shots/
Words from Dr. Lee: “…..allowing them to move freely and offer a first line test to avoid going to healthcare facilities after potential exposure to the virus unless the home test proves to be positive.”
So, travelers have to quarantine for 7-14 days because they MIGHT have been exposed after their initial PCR pre-test but residents with KNOWN potential exposures can move around.
I assume this means they will be offering those at the airport for arrivals and if you are negative, you are free to move around also!!!
This is going to be a disaster. Imagine how many people will test positive, say nothing, and go about their business spreading the virus to others. Expecting people to do the right thing is a joke, the world today is lawless and people care not for anyone but themselves.
A Better Way to Think About Your Risk for COVID.
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/10/covid-risk-factors-could-be-hiding-our-genes/620315/
These are Ok as far as positive tests go – they are about 99% accurate when confirmed by follow up PCRs. But a negative means nothing. They throw up a lot of false negatives.
They are useful to stop unknown outbreaks in a social group, but little else.
One member of my family tested negative morning and night on a lateral flow and a PCR that day came back positive.
Falling ill or testing positive? Big difference
Certainly needed now that our per capita rate of infection has reached half of Jamaica’s, and catching up every day.
Like immigration.
We are eighty per cent vaccinated, closing Lillies will save more lives every Saturday than any Covid policy now.
Who owns the company distributing this?
Alien lizards that have infiltrated the Democratic party. Or Canadians, maybe.
Free in the UK sure they won’t be here
And you can order as many as you like.
Flowflex™ SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test
Operating Instructions Video
https://youtu.be/9ShFIzJtaT8
About time. The way to manage this has always been like every other developed country.., quic lateral flow tests and personal responsibility, testing yourself st home and self isolating where necessary.
Cost???
Too late. Only had around a year to approve these. Shame they aren’t widely available and used to avoid widespread isolation as a consequence of the schools issue.
Within 2 weeks half the island or more will be forced to isolate, with a serious breakdown in services, supplies & the economy. Civil disorder may well follow.
“Civil order may well follow”. Tad bit melodramatic don’t ya think?
Nope. CIG’s isolation rules present an extremely serious threat to supply chains. When people are hungry and feel imprisoned, civil disorder is what happens.
And it can happen surprisingly fast. RCIPS is nowhere near being able to control it. And neither is the regiment.
Just stop testing kids, if you have flu like symptoms, just stay home. We can not sustain the 14 day Quarantine for an entire household because one child was in the vicinity of a Covid case.
Folks, 90 percent of us will eventually catch Covid, 98 percent of vaccinated persons avoid a bad case (look at Singapore). It is time to allow Covid to spread through the community with a low viral load.
In Bermuda 29% of hospitalizations have been people fully vaccinated and 20% of the deaths as well. I would prefer that Cayman does not take that path.
Why stop with kids. If government completely stopped testing then nobody would get Covid and everybody would be healthy. Genius. Come to think of it they should do the same with cancer screening and end cancer too!
Can we use these before we get on outgoing flights?
For almost all countries, no, if self administered. For some countries, yes, but only if administered by a professional. For the majority of countries, a PCR test is required.
A self-administered test is rarely acceptable as there is no proof that you administered the test properly, no proof that the sample is actually yours, and no proof you actually put the swab in your nostril (you could just simply put the swab into the solution/card, and of course no antigen proteins would be found).
And you believe all the tests being administered overseas are done properly? Ok Jan…
And you believe all the tests being administered locally are done properly? Ok ostrich…
You don’t need a negative test before flying to London now. Depends where you going, but these are not per tests anyway
But still need to do PCR test and test negative in Cayman before boarding BA to Nassau/London and a test day on day 2 in UK which has to be booked before leaving Cayman. Has this now changed?
@4:55 The US accepts rapid tests but not the at-home version. Other countries have different entry test requirements.
7:21 is correct. At-home tests MUST include a video appointment with a designated healthcare provider to be acceptable for travel to US. After they watch you perform test and watch results come up, they send you the official results via email.
https://qured.us/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7Mm1j4238wIVSVtyCh3btAk5EAAYAiAAEgIGCvD_BwE
Would be good to be able to order these for travel to the US
No.
Finally, good news.
When??
….except it’s not available in the US.
Pointless comment, this is a cayman not us article
Neither is haggis.
Or common sense