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
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