Mayor Vico Sotto says Pasig uses rapid testing due to limited supply of PCR kits

The Pasig City government is using rapid test kits due to the limited supply of polymerase chain reaction test kits in the country, Mayor Vico Sotto said.

Interviewed on “Quarantined with Howie Severino” on Tuesday, Sotto said the PCR test remains as the confirmatory procedure when an individual is found reactive in the rapid test.

“Gusto ko lang po ilinaw na PCR pa rin. Kasi sinabi ng DOH na PCR ang gold standard, ‘yon pa rin ang gold standard na ginagamit namin dito sa Pasig. ‘Yon pa rin ang confirmatory,” he said.

While Sotto acknowledged the warning of some doctors that rapid tests for COVID-19 are unreliable given the high possibility of a false positive, he said the city government uses them because “they have to do something” amid the efforts of the national government to enhance the country's PCR testing capacity.

“Ang problema natin sa buong Pilipinas, limitado ‘yong PCR testing capability natin so hindi naman puwede na habang hinihintay natin tumaas ang kapasidad ng bansa ay wala tayong gagawin,” Sotto said.

“Nakikita naman natin, inaaral ko rin personally and we have our doctors studying the different kinds of testing, there are four main kinds of testing sa COVID. But we have to do something. Eh ito naman nakikita naman natin 'yong specificity or 'yong sensitivity ng mga rapid test, mayroon namang brand na medyo mataas so may value pa rin siya especially as a diagnostic tool,” he added.

Sotto also said the PCR is “not perfect.”

“Ang sinasabi nga nila up to 30% 'yong hindi nahuhuli ng PCR na positive or false negatives natin. So that's also alarming.”

He added that the more tools that the country has, the better.

Moreover, Sotto said the city government has already begun rapid testing among its frontliners.

“‘Yong protocol natin simple. Rapid test, kapag nag-reactive sa rapid test or sa antibody testing, may confirmatory PCR po tayo,” he said.

Sotto also said while he wants to require all establishments in the city to test its returning employees, he said they also have limited supply of the rapid test kits.

“Kami dito gustuhin man naming i-require 'yong mga negosyo, establisyimento na i-test 'yong mga empleyado nila, ang problema natin supply. So hindi naman tama na i-require natin sila tapos 'Teka, saan kami kukuha?' Eh 'yon nga ang next problema natin,” he said. “We can’t require businesses at this point.”

However, Sotto said the city government will shoulder the PCR confirmatory test for those businesses who can source their own rapid test kits.

“Although we have committed na kapag may nag-positive doon sa reactive doon sa mga rapid test na gagawin ng mga businesses, those that can source their rapid test kits, we will do the... the City of Pasig will do the PCR testing for them. 'Yon naman ang mas mahal eh,” he said. —Ma. Angelica Garcia/LDF, GMA News