More labs, test kits to reflect trend of COVID-19 infection – DOH

MANILA, Philippines — Confirmed coronavirus disease 2029 (COVID-19) cases  could see a marked increase in the coming days with the availability of more laboratories and test kits which will enable the testing of more individuals.

This will reflect the trend of COVID-19 cases in the country, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Monday.

“Sigurado po yan, magsasalamin ito ngayon ng talagang trend ng positive cases at saka ng community transmission,” he said in an interview on dzMM when asked if the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is expected to increase.

(That is certain. This will mirror the trend of positive cases and community transmission in the country.)

“Talagang tataas ito at ang kabutihan naman dito ay mas lumiliwanag ‘yung talagang bilang ng positive at saka yung mga negative,” he added.

(The number of cases will increase and the benefit of this will tell us the true number of positive and negative cases in the country.)

With the expected increase of confirmed COVIID-19 cases, Duque explained that case fatality rate could also decrease as most of the cases may only exhibit mild symptoms.

“Pati yung case fatality rate natin, ngayon nga na tumaas ‘yung bilang ng positive pero bumaba na ‘yung ating case fatality rate from 8.4 to 6.5 percent,” he said.

(Now that the number of cases in the country have increased, our case fatality rate have dropped from 8.4 percent to 6.5 percent.)

“So bababa pa ito. Mas mapapalawig natin ang test natin, mas maraming positive dyan at karamihan malamang mild cases pa,” the Health secretary added.

(This will decrease further. Now that testing will be more available, many will be confirmed positive but they may only exhibit mild cases.)

So far, there are 380 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, with 25 deaths and 15 recoveries.

The Department of Health (DOH) opened four more testing laboratories across the country – San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center, Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City and the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1245707/philippines-five-laboratories-to-test-patients-for-covid#ixzz6HTBcdnwU 

Duque said that the health department is also eyeing to open a laboratory at the Lung Center of the Philippines and St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City.

The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City was previously the only facility certified to conduct clinical tests for the disease in the country, however, it is now overwhelmed with cases, Duque admitted.

On top of this, over 100,000 test kits were donated to the Philippines, which will allow the testing of more individuals.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1245736/100000-test-kits-donated-to-ph-for-covid#ixzz6HTCfJ712 

GSG