THE LOCAL government has allowed the use of the cheaper Saliva RT-PCR testing as an alternative to the more expensive nasopharyngeal swab RT-PCR testing following the approval of the Department of Health.
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| Zamboanga City Mayor Beng Climaco undergoes RT-PCR testing. |
RT-PCR stands for Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction.
Mayor Beng Climaco, head of the local Covid-19 task force, has signed Executive Order 649-2021 which allows the use of Saliva RT-PCR testing. She said in view of the “No Swab, No Entry” policy of the local government, the use of the Saliva RT-PCR testing shall be allowed as an alternative to the nasopharyngeal swab RT-PCR testing in accordance with DOH Memorandum No. 2021-0161.
“Only licensed Covid-19 laboratories certified by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine or RITM are allowed to perform saliva-based RT-PCR. At present, in Zamboanga City, the Philippine Red Cross Molecular Laboratory is the only accredited laboratory allowed to conduct Saliva RT-PCR test. Other laboratories may obtain a certification from RITM before their tests will be recognized by the local government,” she said.
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) said the Saliva RT-PCR test is accurate by 98.11% compared to RT-PCR. “Ang Saliva RT-PCR test ng Philippine Red Cross ay accurate (98.11% vs. swab RT-PCR), non-invasive at laway lang ang kailangan, mabilis at may resulta agad sa loob ng 24 oras, at higit sa lahat mura, P2,000 lang. Tandaan, tanging Philippine Red Cross lang and may pahintulot ng Department of Health na magsagawa ng Saliva RT-PCR Test,” it said.
Saliva RT-PCR will also minimize the exposure of healthcare workers to Covid-19 because patients simply have to spit at least 3 ml of saliva to a properly labelled, graduated, sterile, and wide-mouth vial.
PRC said the saliva RT-PCR test is a non-invasive and less stringent alternative to the nasopharyngeal swab RT-PCR test. It said Saliva test does not require for a specimen collector to wear full personal protective equipment, adding that it is cheaper as it uses less equipment and reagents, and processing time will only take three to four hours.
The DOH also asked Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to develop the appropriate payment and provider engagement mechanisms for the new Saliva RT-PCR test. “No additional payment shall be charged to patients beyond the PhilHealth coverage for the conduct of saliva-based RT-PCR testing,” DOH Secretary Francisco Duque said in a memorandum. (Zamboanga Post)
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