THE Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) expects to receive an estimated 500 coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kits that would hasten the confirmatory testing to patients under investigation (PUIs) for possible infection.
SPMC chief medical technologist Zenaida Banzon told reporters on Thursday, March 12, that the test kits coming from the Department of Health (DOH) will arrive this month.
Banzon said SPMC, one of the hospitals in Davao Region that is fully-equipped in handling suspected Covid-19 patients, is currently using two reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) machines that are capable of detecting other viruses causing the Covid-19, Influenza A virus subtype H1N1 (A/H1N1), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-related coronavirus (Mers-CoV), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), and Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
She added that one machine was donated by DOH in 2009, while they procured another one in 2017.
While Banzon recognized the importance of the RT-PCR and RDT, she said the test kits are faster in giving results.
“Of course, the process is tedious, but both are capable of testing Covid-19,” Banzon said during the iSpeak media forum at the City Hall of Davao.
SPMC Chief of Clinics and Health Emergency Management Bureau (HEMB) coordinator Dr. Ricardo Audan said the RT-PCR would take between two to four hours before the test result would come out.
Audan said they would have yet to determine the time-efficiency of the test kits, but he said it is way faster than the RT-PCR.
Banzon, however, said tests would still be sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) for validation, which would take 72 hours. But according to Audan, the test results would take almost four days due to the influx of samples to be tested and validated.
She added they still follow the RITM protocol, wherein the negative test result would be given within 24-hours, while results manifesting to some of the criteria of Covid would be forwarded to RITM for confirmatory result.
She also underscored that patients who initially tested negative are not yet cleared as they would still undergo various confirmatory tests.
He also said current PUIs are being tested using the PCR machines.
Meanwhile, Banzon urged the public, especially those experiencing flu-like symptoms, and those who have travel history from Covid-infected areas to have themselves tested, as not to further spread the virus.