FOUR persons were tested negative for Sars-COV-2, which causes the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), in the first batch of Covid-19 testing at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) Thursday, May 21.
Dr. Bernard Rocha, NMMC medical officer, said they have processed a total of nine swab specimens Thursday: four from patients and five were staff of NMMC.
The patients who tested negative are a 57-year-old female, an 83-year-old male, a 65-year-old female, and 39-year-old female, all from outside of Cagayan de Oro.
The NMMC is using a genexpert machine for its Covid-19 testing.
Rocha said the hospital has a total of 1,740 cartridges, which will be used for the operation of the machine.
The machine can process four tests per hour or a total of 48 tests in 12 hours.
Rocha clarified that the hospital is conducting an expanded Covid-19 testing under the Department of Health (DOH) guidelines, or the testing of all individuals who are at risk of contracting the virus.
Among the "at risk" individuals are the suspect cases, individuals with relevant history of travel and exposure (or contact), and health care workers with possible exposure, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic.
Under the guidelines, these are the subgroups of at risk individuals arranged in order of greatest to lowest need for testing:
A. Patients or healthcare workers with severe/critical symptoms, relevant history of travel/contact;
B. Patients or healthcare workers with mild symptoms, relevant history of travel/contact and considered vulnerable
C. Patients or healthcare workers with mild symptoms, relevant history of travel/contact;
D. Patients or healthcare workers with no symptoms, relevant history of travel/contact.