ADVERTISEMENT
House execs explain lack of mass testing for own personnel despite rising COVID-19 cases
By ERWIN COLCOL, GMA News Officials of the House of Representatives on Wednesday explained the lack of "mass" testing in the chamber despite the increasing number of COVID-19 cases recorded almost every day.
In a media briefing, House Deputy Secretary General for Administration Department Dr. Ramon Ricardo Roque said the chamber has conducted research and consultation with medical experts on the conclusiveness of mass testing.
"Ang sinasabi ng doctors of medicine, based on the research, sa tulong din ng UP, ‘yung testing kapag hindi mo nauulit, medyo hindi masyadong conclusive," he said.
"So far, hindi tayo nagma-mass testing," he added.
A total of 18 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in the House, which has been increasing almost daily since the first week of July.
House Secretary General Jose Luis Montales said that if by mass testing, one is referring to rapid testing, it is not a reliable screening test for COVID-19.
"If you test, tapos whether negative or positive, hindi naman accurate, and then you clog the system, ‘yung sa laboratories. Ang dami na ngang pending tapos dadagdagan natin based on a test na hindi naman accurate and reliable," he said.
Contrary to Montales' statement, rapid anti-body tests produce instant results and do not require the rigorous laboratory process which has 24- to 48-hour turnaround time.
Meanwhile, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests, the gold standard in COVID-19 testing, require laboratory processes as these specifically detect the specific coronavirus strain in the samples and not just the presence of antibodies.
The Department of Health has also come up with parameters on who should undergo COVID-19 testing, and those who are not falling within these parameters should not be tested, Montales said.
He also believes that the safety and health guidelines that the House has issued are sufficient to lessen the risk of COVID-19 transmission, if strictly followed.
Moreover, Montales said the COVID-19 cases in the House did not get infected from other personnel working at the Batasang Pambansa complex.
"If you look at the data really, ang lumalabas 'yung transmission ay nanggagaling sa community, hindi naman sa House of Representatives. It's not the case of one employee or member transmitting it to another employee or member," he said.
"Other than the two cases in the printing in the early stages, and recently ‘yung Internal Audit Department, all the rest seems to have been transmitted in their own communities," he added.
Despite the lack of mass testing in the House, lawmakers, guests and staff who will be physically present during President Rodrigo Duterte's fifth State of the Nation Address on Monday will have to undergo both swab and rapid testing for COVID-19.
Strict health protocols have also been set to help prevent the spread of the disease during the event itself.—AOL, GMA News
ADVERTISEMENT