Duque: Chances ‘big’ for approval of saliva test in Philippines

The use of saliva test for cheaper and faster COVID-19 detection in the Philippines has a big chance of being approved, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Thursday.

"The chances are big. It's just undergoing validation. We just want to ascertain that the results are accurate and really with very high concordance rate or agreement with the swab way of collecting the specimen for our RT-PCR testing," Duque said in an interview on ANC.

Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippine Red Cross, said the government is taking too long in approving saliva test

He said that once the government gives its go signal, the PRC can offer this to the public in one to two weeks.

"Kung mabigyan kaming formal agreement siguro in about one week or two weeks tapos 'yan, gawa na kaagad 'yan, aandar na 'yan. Uunahin natin ang Metro Manila," Gordon said.

It will likely be priced at P2,000 or less, according to the senator, and its results can be generated in just three hours.

President Rodrigo Duterte said the country should use it, citing information from the senator that its results are 99% accurate.

Testing czar Secretary Vince Dizon and private sector initiative Project ARK have likewise vouched for saliva and breath testing for COVID-19. 

A total of 6.5 million individuals have so far undergone COVID-19 tests in the country which were facilitated by 181 laboratories. Out of this number, more than 480,000 tested positive for the virus. — Dona Magsino/RSJ, GMA News