KUALA LUMPUR: There is no need to buy Covid-19 self-test kits in large numbers and hoard them despite the current surge of Omicron cases, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) said.

       Its president Dr Koh Kar Chai said there is ample supply of test kits in the market but panic buying could lead to a shortage.

       “Do not be paranoid about the need to test yourself on a daily basis unless it is (required) due to the nature of your work.

       “Healthcare professionals themselves do not test on a daily basis unless they clearly need to do so.

       “Circumstances needing self-testing include before functions involving groups of people, visiting the elderly or immunocompromised individuals, after coming into close contact with infected individuals or when exhibiting symptoms,” he said yesterday.

       He said due to the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant, the number of positive cases would be high until this had peaked, adding that it would be prudent to adhere to the standard operating procedure (SOP) at all times.

       Although the accuracy of self-test kits might not be comparable to professional RTK–Ag tests as well as the gold standard RT–PCR tests, Dr Koh maintained that it was useful in picking up symptomatic cases, especially when cases were at an all-time high.