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Filipinos line up for free COVID-19 testing in Manila


Cars lined up for the free drive-thru rapid coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila on Saturday afternoon.

According to JP Soriano's report on "24 Oras Weekend," motorcycles and bicycles were separated from other types of vehicles.

The drive-thru testing was free and open to everyone. As it was a rapid-test, medical workers took an individual's blood instead of a nasal swab.

However, Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko" Moreno said that the test results were similar to RT-PCR, the test considered as the "gold standard" by the Department of Health.

"This is a higher level of a regular rapid testing kit na ginagawa natin but mas mataas ito kasi the samples are being submitted to a machine at the same time mawawala na rin 'yung possibility ng false positive at false negative," Moreno said.

Blood samples were taken from more than 900 individuals at the Manila COVID-19 test, with 60 positive results. Those who tested positive will get a free RT-PCR swab test.

"So, at least in this case in our own little way, mapapanatag lang natin 'yung damdamin ng tao at kung saka-sakali man mahahanap natin kaagad 'yung mga posibleng nag-positibo na hndi pa nila alam and they can be submitted with to a regular gold standard, with the direction of DOH itong ating swab testing na libre rin, Moreno said. — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News

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