Gov’t eyes pooled sampling for coronavirus testing

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) is studying the feasibility of using the pooled testing method in a bid to increase the Philippines’ COVID-19 testing capacity.

According to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, the COVID-19 Laboratory Expert Panel (CLEP) is now assessing whether the country can use the pooled sampling method to maximize the capacity of the coronavirus testing laboratories.

In pooled testing, swab samples of multiple individuals are put into a single reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test.

If a positive result comes from a single batch of pooled tests, further individual assessments will be made. Meanwhile, if the swab tests come back negative, then individual testing will no longer be needed.

“Kasalukuyan pong sumasailalim sa ethics review ng SJREB (Single Joint Research Ethics Board) bago magsimula ang pilot study ng pooled testing sa RITM upang matukoy natin ang appropriate na bilang ng specimens na gagamitin para sa pooled testing,” Vergeire said in a televised press briefing Tuesday.

(It is currently undergoing SJREB ethics review before the pilot study of pooled testing starts at the RITM to determine the appropriate number of specimens to be used for pooled testing.)

“Inaalam din natin kung alin sa mga laboratories natin ang feasible gumawa nito ayon sa kanilang kapasidad, human health resources at ayon sa bilang ng itetest kada araw,” she added.

(We also determining which of our laboratories is feasible to do the method based on their capacity, human health resources, and the number of tests per day.)

With 63 accredited laboratories, the Philippines currently averages 12,000 to 13,000 coronavirus tests per day.

However, this is still way below the government’s target of 30,000 tests per day which is initially set to achieve by the end of May.

To date, there are 31,825 COVID-19 cases nationwide, including 8,442 recoveries and 1,186 deaths.

EDV