COVID-19 tests of dialysis patients in Marikina to be prioritized

MANILA, Philippines — The release of COVID-19 test results of dialysis patients in Marikina would be prioritized, as treatment facilities require swab testing before patients are given treatment.

This was the assurance made by Marikina’s city government, who forged an agreement with city-based dialysis facilities to allow immuno-compromised patients to get the results of their COVID-19 tests within 24 hours.

According to Mayor Marcelino Teodoro, dialysis facilities have been requiring patients to get a COVID-19 test before being treated, as part of their health protocols.

“Our immuno-compromised residents need to get their results quickly because they really need dialysis treatment.  That’s why we came up with this agreement with the eight dialysis facilities in the city to unburden cancer patients,” Teodoro said in a statement.

“The agreement will also minimize the risk of cancer patients, who are immunocompromised, of getting infected with COVID-19 at over capacitated testing facilities and hospitals,” he added.

Dialysis patients whose swab tests would yield negative results can immediately avail of the dialysis treatment.

Marikina’s Task Force COVID-19 logistics head Dr. Antonio Llabares said this means cancer and dialysis patients only need to present their referral letter to the City Epidemiological Surveillance Unit (CESU) before getting a COVID-19 test.

Meanwhile, patients do not need to queue up in Marikina’s testing facility.

“It is a matter of life and death, that is why the process is also very simple. They are immuno-compromised and they really need dialysis treatment as soon as possible,” Llabares said.

“As instructed by Mayor Marcy, cancer patients will be prioritized. No more lines unlike at other testing facilities, they will get tested immediately,” he added.

As of now, Marikina still has one of the lowest total confirmed COVID-19 cases in Metro Manila, currently at 907, with 407 cases still considered active.  Of the total number, 44 have died while 456 have recovered.

Teodoro attributes this to an aggressive testing and a quick contact tracing within the city, where at least 30 contacts of the infected patients are traced to prevent the further spread of the disease.

“Ang isang innovation na ginawa ng Marikina ngayon is inimprove natin yung contact tracing natin. Ang rate ng contact tracing natin for one positive ay mayroon tayong 30 identified individuals from one positive case. And dahil mataas yung ating ratio na yun, 1:30, mabilis natin nako-contain yung pagkalat ng virus,” Teodoro said.

(Another innovation that Marikina did was to improve our contact tracing efforts.  Our contact tracing rates is for one positive patient, we have identified 30 individuals from one case.  And because that ratio is quite high, we can quickly contain the spread of the virus.)

“Ang testing average na gustong i- achive on the national level ay nasa 400 to 500 test a day in a locality. Pero dito sa Marikina nakakapag-test tayo ng mga 600 to 800 a day which is almost double the standard average natin na mayroon,” he added.

(The testing average that the government wants to achieve at a national level is 400 to 500 tests in a day per locality.  But here in Marikina we are now doing 600 to 800 tests in a day which is almost double the standard average we have now.)

EDV