Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion
MANILA – Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based pooled testing for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) will be rolled out in Makati City and other parts of Metro Manila.
Concepcion said that based on study led by the private sector, the pooled testing will be done in pools of five. This means five individuals will be sharing one PCR test kit.
“If the prevalence or the infection level will decline, then they can be more aggressive and increase that down the road to pools of 10. That will bring down the cost to about PHP750 in pools of five,” he said in a briefing Monday.
Concepcion said the United States is doing pooled testing with four individuals in one PCR test kit.
“If a test kit tests positive, then you have to test everybody in that kit. But they will not have to swab because the samples are there so they will get it, they will keep the samples. So if the kit will get (a) positive result, then they will be able to test everybody in that using the samples that they have. They will not throw the samples,” he added.
Private sector-led Project ARK launched a research on Covid-19 pooled testing around June.
“What’s also important is the speed of testing. It’s now faster because you now have five people to a test kit rather than one person to one test kit. So it’s faster and the (testing) capacity will increase,” he added.
He said 18 organizations from the private sector will support the pooled testing that will be rolled out in NCR.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said regrouping of people in pooled testing can be random individuals but residing in the same area.
Moreover, Concepcion said this pooled testing will also help companies as the new guidelines of the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Trade and Industry mandate regular PCR testing for workers in hospitality, tourism and manufacturing.
This will also help in determining the infection levels in different communities, he said.
“New ways of testing and data-based localized or granular lockdowns, if we’re able to do that perfectly, with tracing, isolating, then I think we will be able to coexist with the virus and eventually beat the virus while there is no cure for this virus,” he added. (PNA)
