DOH eyes swab test for all those with COVID-19 symptoms in MECQ areas

Persons showing symptoms of COVID-19 will undergo swab test, and not rapid test, in areas under modified enhanced community quarantine, Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire said Wednesday.

Vergeire said that this is one of the 10-point results that the government has set for MECQ areas, namely Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal.

The rest of the targets include:

• non-usage of rapid testing kits
• 100% of households undergoing symptom check
• isolating COVID-19 patients non-compliant with home quarantine protocol
• tracing 37 individuals who have been in contact per one COVID-19 patient
• high awareness and compliance with minimum health standards such as wearing of face mask and face shield and observance of physical distancing
• 100% requiring admission/isolation referred
• 100% of admitted patients have zero out of pocket hospital fee
• 100% of clusters identified, contained and isolated
• no stigmatization of COVID-19 patients in the community

Also known as Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), the swab test is believed to yield a more accurate result than a rapid test.

Dr. Antonio Dans of the Philippine Society of General Internal Medicine said that doing away with rapid test — a test done by testing the individuals for antibodies IgM (immunoglobulin) and IgG (immunoglobulin G) — is a must considering that it gives false security to the population and contributes to COVID-19 transmission.

Testing positive for IgM is a sign of active COVID-19 infection while testing positive for IgG indicates that a person had recently recovered.

“Iyong rapid test, hindi naman niya nakikita ang virus kasi ang nakikita niyan, antibodies. Ang nangyayari, iyong mga nag-negative sa rapid test, sila yung kumakalat sa lipunan. Eh ganoon lumalaganap ang COVID-19 kasi nga, 'negative' sila,” Dans said in an online forum.

“Iyong paggamit ng rapid test sa workplace, naging problema at nakadagdag sa paglaganap [ng COVID-19],” he added.

The Philippines has recorded 112,593 COVID-19 cases so far. Of this number, 66,049 have recovered while 2,115 have died.

There are 44,429 active COVID-19 cases as of this posting. —KBK, GMA News