DOH OKs COVID-19 test specimen collection home service

FILE – A medical worker takes an oropharyngeal swab from a resident during a mass testing for the COVID-19 coronavirus at a park in Quezon City, suburban Manila on April 15, 2020. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has allowed the “remote collection” of specimens from the homes of individuals suspected to have the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Friday.

In an interview on GMA-7’s Unang Hirit, Vergeire said the collection of specimens from homes may only be carried out by licensed laboratories for COVID-19 testing.

“Parang extension nila ito, pwede silang magprovide ng home service, pero may mga condition or requirement,” she added.

(This will be an extension of their services. They can provide home service, but with condition or requirement.)

“Kailangan, ‘yung process is of quality, ganun pa rin po sa ginagawa natin, the same with the laboratories. They should be wearing PPEs (personal protective equipment) and they should be notifying the Department of Health when they are going to offer this kind of service so we can monitor them,” said Vergeire.

Vergeire added that the DOH has previously monitored other laboratories that provide the same service to persons suspected to have COVID-19.

“Actually, nakapagmonitor po kami ng mga laboratoryo na ganito at atin pong na-advisan sila,” she said.

(Actually, we have monitored laboratories that offer this service and we advised them of protocols.)

The country has already recorded a total of 228,403 COVID-19 cases   with additional 1,987 cases reported on Thursday.

The total tally includes 65,240 active cases, 159,475 recoveries and 3,688 are deaths.

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