BANGKOK-A Japanese man who reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, after travelling from Thailand to Japan, took a second verifying test at a Japanese hospital, the result of which was negative, leaving the possibility that his initial test may have produced a false positive.
A 47-year-old had his saliva collected for his COVID-19 test at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Japan on 8 August. The test, intended to detect traces of coronavirus protein, returned a positive result.
The man took another test at a hospital in Japan, using the RT-PCR method to find specific genetic material in the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the type of coronavirus causing COVID-19. The result was negative. A third test has also reportedly been taken with a negative response.
The Department of Disease Control Director General Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchia has asked the general public to remain confident in Thailand’s robust measures to prevent COVID-19, which have been continuously enforced.
He said strict disease control protocols are being implemented at border crossings and airports to prevent imported cases, while the general public should continue to practice precautionary measures, despite the country reporting no locally transmitted cases for several weeks.
Source: Thai National News Bureau