Stressing that Covid-19 testing is necessary to save lives, Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman and CEO Senator Richard Gordon, along with government officials and health experts, called on the public to exercise “extraordinary diligence” and have themselves tested, saying some persons may be asymptomatic.
According to Dr. Michael Tee from the University of the Philippines Manila, eight out of 10 Covid-19 cases are asymptomatic, which means that the disease cannot be detected and isolated based on simple temperature checks alone.
Tee and his research team also found out that some overseas Filipino workers who were supposedly screened and cleared abroad before flying to the Philippines also tested positive upon arrival.
With this, Gordon emphasized the importance of continuously testing, tracing, and treating the virus even amid the vaccination rollout.
“Dapat talaga atupagin ng gobyerno ‘yan at atupagin ng tao na sila ay ma-test (The government should really focus on testing, they should make time for this),” Gordon said stressing that once neglected, the virus will spread easily.
This was echoed by Covid-19 Testing Czar Vince Dizon, who cited the increasing local cases of Covid-19 variants first detected in South Africa and the United Kingdom.
The Department of Health -Health Department has also detected two “mutations of concern” in cases in Central Visayas. These are the N501Y and E484K mutations.
“Kailangan po lalo pa nating pa-iigtingin ang ating testing, and kailangan naman po ay talagang pabilisin natin ang pagpapalaganap nitong mga saliva test . (We should intensify our testing efforts, and we should boost the use of saliva test),” Dizon said.
Almost 24,000 saliva samples using RT-PCR machines in their Molecular Laboratories nationwide have been collected since its launch last month.
Gordon has also inked partnerships with the private sector to offer the cheaper, non-invasive, but accurate saliva testing in drive-thru collection booths in malls and through home service.
Dizon stressed that PRC’s Saliva RT-PCR Test is the only saliva test stringently reviewed and approved by regulators.
To date, the PRC leads Covid-19 testing in the country, having exceeded 2 million swab tests nationwide.
This milestone accounts for 24 percent of the country’s testing output, and for about 37 percent of testing in the National Capital Region.
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