More facilities to test patients for COVID-19 to be ready in 2 weeks

MANILA, Philippines — More facilities to test patients under investigation (PUIs) for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) may be ready in the next two weeks, according to the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday.

Health Assistant Secretary Dr. Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the agency is just completing the requirements of its subnational laboratories before it can be used to test patients for the viral infection.

“Hopefully in the next two weeks we will be able to have them functional at makapag-umpisa na tayo ng (so that we can start) testing with them,” she said in a press briefing.

Vergeire said that Health Secretary Francisco Duque III ordered the activation of these laboratories to assist in testing patients for COVID-19 when the number of specimens to be tested started to surge.

Currently, only the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) conducts tests on PUIs to identify if they have contracted the virus.

The DOH has four subnational reference laboratories that can assist the RITM, according to Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo. These are located in the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City, San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, and the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center.

READ: Gov’t developing more labs to test patients for coronavirus disease

Vergeire said the location of these facilities is “strategic,” noting that it is situated in different parts of the country.

The latest data from the DOH case tracker showed there are 521 PUIs monitored by the agency for the deadly virus. Of this number, 453 patients have already tested negative for the infection.