Seven members of a family were brought by Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City to the community-based testing site in Tatalon after one of their housemates tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Two types of tests are performed at the community-based testing site of the QC LGU: the antigen and RT-PCR test.
The antigen test is used if a close contact has symptoms. RT-PCR is used if there are no symptoms.
Seven positive case close contacts were subjected to RT-PCR. With the continuous increase in COVID-19 cases, the role of community-based testing has become even more important, according to Myra Joy Villa, medical technologist of the QC Epidemiology Surveillance Unit.
“Ang importance ng community-based testing is mabilis nating nakukuha ang mga close contacts, mga suspects sa community and nate-test natin agad. Naa-identify natin agad kung sino ‘yung kailangan isolate or i-quarantine,” said Villa.
“Strictly, ang kine-cater namin is for symptomatics, suspects and close contacts lang po. ‘Yung iba nire-reject namin kung hindi naman kailangan ma-swab since ‘yung test kits namin is limited lang po,” she added.
Community-based testing conducted in Quezon City
Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire explained that this method of testing is what the government can do today.
She added that it is unclear right now to do the mass testing that the public wants.
“We can’t test everybody actually. ‘Yung sinasabing mass testing, that would be very irrational and very inefficient for government,” said Vergeire.
Four tested positive for antigen in Barangay Tatalon. They have also been placed in the isolation facility of the barangay and are just waiting to be transferred to the Hope Facility.
Those who do RT PCR tests are sent home and strictly follow home quarantine.
Some private laboratories, such as Manila Healthtek, have set up a remote testing site in a parking lot in Ermita, to bring the testing closer to the community.
Anyone can be tested here for P2,950.
As of Thursday, the number of additional COVID-19 cases in the country reached 8,767.
In total, there are 971,049 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines.