DOH tasked to set guidelines on use of coronavirus rapid test kits

MANILA, Philippines – The government’s task force handling the response to the coronavirus outbreak in the country ordered the Department of Health (DOH) to set guidelines on the use of rapid test kits.

In an online briefing on Sunday, April 12, Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the DOH is directed “to issue updated guidelines or protocols on the use of rapid test kits in the Philippines.” 

This is subject to “the requirements and recommendations of the Health Technology Assessment Council” in line with Republic Act No. 11223 or the Universal Health Care Act.

These rapid test kits require blood samples and “measure antibodies and not the viral load itself,” explained Food and Drug Administration Director General Eric Domingo in late March when the agency approved 5 rapid test kits. 

This is different from the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based test, which assesses swabs taken from patients and determines the actual presence of the coronavirus.

As of April 3, the country has 30 approved PCR-based and antibody rapid test kits for commercial use, including the locally made PCR-based test kits developed by scientists from the University of the Philippines (UP) Manila’s National Institutes of Health.

The DOH earlier refused to recommend the use of rapid test kits because it can produce false negative results, as explained by Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on March 23. 

However, Dr Minguita Padilla of the UP College of Medicine argued that rapid antibody testing is an “easy and convenient way to test” and would greatly aid in mass testing efforts. 

As of Sunday, there are 4,648 coronavirus cases reported in the Philippines. Among the cases, 297 have died and 197 have recovered. – Rappler.com