(Eagle News) – The country’s COVID-19 testing czar Vince Dizon is hoping that the Department of Health would soon release guidelines regarding saliva tests as an alternative to RT-PCR tests or swab tests in determining if the person has the virus, SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19.
Dizon said that the DOH is still in the process of validating this saliva test as an alternative to swab tests. He also said that the Philippine Red Cross had earlier sought the approval of saliva tests for COVID-19.
He said that the application for the approval of this process of testing through saliva had been submitted since last year.
“Alam ninyo po last year pa po iyan sinabmit sa ating mga regulatory agencies para i-approve at i-validate itong prosesong ito. Nauna na po diyan ang application ng Philippine Red Cross at alam naman po natin na napakalaki po ng naging tulong nila sa testing natin at nauna po nilang sinabmit iyan,” Dizon said.
-Guidelines for saliva tests should be released-
He said that no less that President Rodrigo Duterte had also asked the DOH to fast-track its validation process for the saliva tests for COVID-19.
Dizon said that it is important for the DOH to speed up the validation process and to come up with the necessary guidelines for this so that saliva tests for detecting COVID-19 can already be done in the country.
“Alam ko po, ito ay ongoing ang validation pero sana po lalo na sinabi na ng ating Pangulo na dapat bilisan na natin ang validation nito, eh sana po bilisan na po ng ating regulatory agencies at validation agencies under the Department of Health ang pagpapalabas ng guidelines dito para magamit na natin itong saliva test,” he said.
Dizon explained that RT-PCR tests through nasopharyngeal swabs are more invasive and those undergoing this experience some discomfort.
A health care professional inserts a thin, flexible stick with cotton at the tip, also known as a long nasal swab, into the nose or brushes the swab along the back of one’s throat to collect a sample of mucus.
The swab is also gently rotated inside the nostrils before being pulled out.
“Tama po ang ating mahal na Pangulo, hindi po biro ang ma-PCR test at ma-swab nang ilang beses – masakit po iyan, very invasive. Tayo po mismo, ako po mismo halos naka—mahigit trenta na akong PCR test at hindi po siya komportable at may kasakitan po iyan at sana napakalaki po nang maitutulong ng saliva test. So sana bilisan na natin na mapalabas ito and sana sa loob ng linggong ‘to, sa susunod na linggo ay lumabas na,” Dizon explained.
-PRC says saliva tests for COVID-19 have 99% efficacy rate-
Earlier, Philippine Red Cross chairman Senator Richard Gordon also pushed the DOH to allow saliva tests for RT-PCR, instead of only using swab samples.
He said that saliva tests have a 99.99 percent efficacy in detecting the COVID-19 virus. It is also easier to do, and would cost less — around P2,000 to P2,500 for each test,
He said that this is already being done and accepted in airports in Japan and Singapore.
Gordon also pressed the DOH to give its answer regarding their request submitted in October last year regarding the validation of saliva tests for COVID-19.
(Eagle News Service)