The Center for Market Education (CME) says self-testing is key to detecting Covid-19 earlier so people can isolate themselves faster and get medical attention before more severe symptoms set in.
“Frequent testing will also create peace of mind, especially for workers, knowing that they are in a safe working environment,” said CME chief executive Carmelo Ferlito.
He said self-testing should be a part of the Covid-19 strategy to help cope with the higher number of detected infections.
Ferlito also said self-test kits could help shift the responsibility of handling the pandemic from the authorities to businesses and the people, leading to better outcomes.
Right now, he said, the burden of testing and detecting cases was on the authorities, and with resources stretched, this could lead to infections going undetected.
“With the introduction of self-test kits in the work environment, the responsibility shifts from the government to employers to test their employees once a week,” he said.
He said that when cases are detected faster, it would enable the necessary measures to be taken to address the situation, preventing the need for businesses to shut down completely.
Economist Geoffrey Williams of the Malaysia University of Science and Technology (MUST) said the idea behind self-testing was to allow people greater flexibility to check on their own health and avoid overburdening the health system.
“If the public needs to show a negative test, even after being vaccinated twice, then this is the way to do it. In principle, this should make things better,” he said.
However, Williams cautioned that if people were forced to submit their results to the authorities, it could be counterproductive. They may refuse to cooperate and this could see fewer cases being detected.
With the reopening of the economy, he said, using a self-test kit as part of a targeting scheme for a “Find-Test-Trace-Isolate-Treat” management programme advocated by the World Health Organization was a better alternative to lockdowns.
He said that in the UK, if someone has tested positive for the virus, they would have to self-isolate and close contacts are “pinged” by the UK Covid-19 application to self-isolate too.
Williams said that about 700,000 people have been affected and were forced to stay home for work, adding that this was the “test-trace-isolate” part of the process.
“Around 20% of hospitality workers have been affected because they came into close contact with customers. They had to isolate even if they were not positive. Whole teams are ‘pinged’ at once and workplaces have to shut.
“This may be a smaller price to pay than closing down everything,” he said.
The UK’s Covid-19 self-test kits Williams was referring to are rapid antigen kits, similar to those now being sold in Malaysia. The ones in the UK involve a nasal and oral swab.
According to the UK government, alongside the rollout of the vaccine, regular self-testing would be an essential part of the easing of restrictions as it will quickly help suppress the spread of Covid-19 variants.
It also said this was a significant step forward as self-test kits would pave the way for businesses and society to reopen. In the UK, these kits are available for free through local pharmacies, community centres and home delivery services.
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