ENOUGH TESTING KITS. Health Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire gives updates on the government’s efforts to contain coronavirus diseases in the country in a press briefing at the Department of Health (DOH) main office on Tuesday (March 10, 2020). Vergeire said the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine has adequate coronavirus testing kits. (PNA photo by Ma. Teresa Montemayor)
MANILA – The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine has adequate coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) testing kits, a health official confirmed Tuesday.
"They are adequate based on the current number of cases and request for testing. We also have forthcoming deliveries, we have in process procurement, we're trying to partner with agencies here and abroad so we can get more supplies," Health Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a press briefing at the Department of Health (DOH) main office.
Vergeire added the current inventory of the testing kits is more than 2,000.
FDA allows use of local test kits
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday issued a Certificate of Exemption for the SARS CoV-2 PCR Detection Kit which was developed by local scientists at the University of the Philippines-National Institute of Health.
In a statement, FDA Director General Eric Domingo said the rapid test kit will be used for field testing coupled with gene sequencing at the Philippine Genome Center.
“The increasing number of reported Covid-19 cases will require immediate diagnosis and monitoring. This will provide our laboratories with technological reinforcement to accommodate the growing number of patients to be tested and aid in early screening of positive cases. Furthermore, this will provide greater access to a less costly diagnostic procedure,” Domingo said.
Vergeire explained the kit has shorter turnaround time with 45 minutes to two hours processing to extend the capacity of the DOH laboratories.
"Hindi pa po natin ito gagamitin, pinag-uusapan pa po natin iyan at may isang step pa po tayong hinihintay at magdedesisyon na ang ating Secretary. Kelangan kasi ma-ilista siya dun sa (We're not going to use this yet, we're still discussing about that and there's another step we're waiting for and our Secretary will decide. It needs to be listed in the) emergency use listing of the World Health Organization and there's a rate limiting step which they need to comply with which they must get from other countries," she said.
Gene sequencing
Vergeire also noted that gene sequencing, which can be done with field testing using the kit, will allow the DOH to see if there is a relation between the Covid-19 cases in the country.
"Those who will undergo gene sequencing are the positive cases so if we say now that we have 33 cases, these 33 will undergo genes sequencing and will be checked if they have relation to each other. 'Yung mga kaso natin dati pa ay puwede natin isama para makita natin kung may relasyon sila sa mga bagong kaso (We can include the old cases to check if they are related to the new cases), she said.
Vergeire added gene sequencing can also provide enough evidence should there be a need to declare a sustained community transmission. (PNA)
