The Dinagat Islands Provincial Health Office (PHO) conducted rapid antibody screening tests for COVID-19 on high-risk health workers on 07-08 May 2020. As of 08 May 2020, we found that:
- Two (2) health workers were identified as presumptive recovered cases;
2. One (1) health worker was identified as a presumptive case; and
3. There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Province of Dinagat Islands.
None of the health workers tested exhibited symptoms of COVID-19. They also do not have any travel history outside Dinagat Islands within the quarantine period. We would like to emphasize that rapid antibody tests cannot be used as a diagnostic tool for COVID-19 due to their poor accuracy during the first 14 days of illness. Rapid antibody tests have a margin of error of 29% in the first 14 days of illness. Due to the limited number of tests, only health workers with recorded exposure to possible cases and patients highly suspicious of COVID-19 and with symptom onset at least 14 days ago were tested.
We are still in the process of securing confirmatory tests for our health workers. In Mindanao, only the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City is an accredited COVID-19 testing laboratory. We are also procuring more rapid antibody screening test kits, as well as RT-PCR test kits, which shall arrive early next week.
The Provincial Government and all concerned offices are in the process of conducting thorough contact tracing among all those who may have had any interactions with our presumptive cases. Rest assured that we are all doing everything we can to ensure that COVID-19 will not spread in Dinagat Islands through all the protocols that we have put in place since the detection of the first cases of infection in the country.
We ask our people to continue practicing our protocols such as proper hygiene and physical distancing. Let us refrain from spreading unverified or false information, which may negatively affect our collective efforts in implementing preventive measures. Official information shall only be released through the Provincial Information Office (PIO).
Let us work together to ensure that COVID-19 will not spread in our island province. Since Day 1, we have done so much in ensuring our safety. Now is the time to have courage and continue our collective efforts. Mag-andam ug mag-amping kanunay, mga Dinagatnon!
JILLIAN FRANCISE A. LEE, MD
Provincial Health Officer
#OneDINAGATShield #OurCommunitiesOurFrontline
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RAPID ANTIBODY SCREENING TEST:
PRESUMPTIVE CASE = Adunay antibodies/ immune reaction ang lawas sa COVID-19. “MAMAHIMONG adunay COVID-19” ang buot pasabot niini.
PRESUMPTIVE RECOVERED CASE = Adunay antibodies/immune reaction sa lawas nga nag-ingon basig nagka COVID-19 sa una ug naayo kini nga nag-inusara.
Para sa rapid antibody screening test, mamahimong dili accurate ang resulta ug kinahanglan pa ang confirmation pinaagi sa RT-PCR test.
RT-PCR TEST:
CONFIRMED CASE = Sigurado nga naay COVID-19.