DOH: Nearly 80K positive COVID antigen test results received since January

FILE PHOTO A man getting swabbed for COVID-19. Image from VP Leni Robredo/Facebook

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has so far received nearly 80,000 reports on positive COVID-19 antigen test results since January, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Friday.

According to Vergeire, this represents a positivity rate of 14.15 percent out of over 560,000 total antigen tests conducted from January to March 12.

“We were able to receive reports already starting in January. Ngayon may kabuuan kaming nakuha na total tests done na 562,632 na total test ng antigen na naireport sa atin, kung saan mayroon tayong 79,586 na nagpositive sa antigen test from January to March 12,” she said in an online press briefing.

(We were already able to receive reports starting January. The reports we received showed there were 562,632 total antigen tests done wherein 79,568 have tested positive from January to March 12.)

Vergeire said that the positivity rate for antigen testing was highest in January at 21 percent. It then dropped to just 2.8 percent in February and 2.7 percent from March 1 to 12.

“Nakakakuha na tayo ng regular reports. We are now trying to better the system at nakakakita na tayo ng isa pang sistema kung saan gagamitin natin para mas maging pormal at institutionalized ang proseso natin,” the official added.

(We are already receiving regular reports. We are now trying to improve the system and we are looking at another system that we can use for a more formal and institutionalized process.)

The DOH, in its Memorandum No. 2022-0033, earlier mandated the reporting of positive COVID-19 antigen test results, including those from self-administered test kits.

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EDV