COVID-19 rapid test guidelines released —DOH

The Department of Health (DOH) announced that the interim guidelines for using the rapid test kits for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been released on Tuesday.

In a Facebook post, the DOH said the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (PSMID) released guidelines on the clinical management of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients cases.

Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved five rapid antibody test kits for the detection of COVID-19 infection in the country.

The PSMID presented the following guidelines in using them:

• Only Food and Drug Administration-approved kits should be used.
   
• A COVID-19 antibody test CANNOT be used as a stand-alone test to definitively diagnose COVID-19 and CANNOT be used for mass testing.

• The COVID-19 Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT)can only be used on people who had onset of symptoms for at least 5 days (i.e. for IgM) and 21 days (i.e. for IgG). Most kits include both IgM and IgG, so they can be used by day 5.

• Anyone who tests positive for IgM should be tested with a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to confirm the positive test.

• A negative IgM test DOES NOT rule out COVID-19 and the symptomatic patient should REMAIN ISOLATED and swabbed using RT-PCR for confirmation.

• IgG-only positive individuals without RT-PCR should be labeled as presumptive past COVID-19 and not be officially counted as confirmed unless there is a further validation test in the future, or if validated with a PRNT (Plaque reduction neutralization test) or viral culture by a third party. If a patient is symptomatic, an RT-PCR should be done, and the patient should be quarantined. If a patient is asymptomatic, there is no need to test using an RT-PCR.

• The IgG antibody can be used as an adjunct test to clear quarantined patients who remain asymptomatic at 14 days post discharge. The presence of antibodies typically indicates viral clearance. If IgG is positive, the patient can be released from self-quarantine. If IgG is negative, a repeat RT-PCR should be performed.

• ONLY medical doctors can prescribe and interpret the use of the antibody-based test kits. These kits will not be available over the counter.

Aside from these, the kits can be used when a recovered or discharged patient who finished 14-day home quarantine will undergo one more testing, as part of the COVID-19 guidelines in managing adult patients.

On Tuesday, the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) president Marinduque Governor Presbitero Velasco Jr. urged the DOH to expedite the issuance of guidelines for COVID-19 rapid testing.

Velasco expressed frustration over the slow process of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based testing for COVID-19, which could take a week.

He pointed out that the rapid testing will help local governments to decide immediately on how to handle patients with possible COVID-19 in their respective areas.

Velasco added that without the pronouncement and a memorandum circular from the DOH, local governments cannot procure the rapid test kits.

“Magandang balita po ito, pero pakibilisan lang po ang guidelines at training. Hindi naman po basta ang paggamit nitong rapid screening test kit na ito. Kukuha pa kami ng pondo diyan,” Velasco said.

FDA Director General Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo earlier reminded local government officials, heads of agencies, hospitals, and private companies to be cautious in using the rapid test kits.

Domingo said they should seek the help of doctors in testing.

"The rapid test kits will yield a faster result compared to PCR based kits, but it is important that a trained health professional will evaluate and interpret the results,” Domingo said.

“We have to be very cautious in using these rapid test kits because they measure antibodies and not the viral load itself," he added. —LDF, GMA News