Unregulated testing blamed for spread of virus

MANILA, Philippines — Former Health Secretary Janette Garin blames “unregulated” COVID-19 testing as factor that led to many “false negatives” and the rapid spread of the disease.

Garin, a former member of the House of Representatives, said the pandemic had become a “business opportunity,” with unregulated testing that had drowned reliable testing.

According to Garin, antigen testing, which was recommended only for symptomatic patients, is now widely used to screen for COVID-19, even in the House.

For general screening, the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction testing remains the gold standard in diagnosing COVID-19 cases.

—Julie M. Aurelio