Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Sec. Martin Andanar reveals that the country has enough polymerase chain reaction (PCR) kits and labs to test around 20,000 to 30,000 Filipinos a day.
Andanar revealed the information in a teleconference on Friday, June 19 involving Andanar himself, Gov. Arthur Yap and two Bohol media personalities: The Bohol Tribune‘s managing editor Ardy Araneta-Batoy and Bohol News Today’s Ric Obedencio.
Andanar reacted to the position of the Bohol Medical Society (BMS) regarding the use of rapid antibody test (RAT) and the preference to use PCR in diagnosing Covid infections.
The PCOO secretary said there was a debate in the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) regarding the use of the RAT.
Andanar said;” Alam nyo po itong sa antibody rapid testing, this has been a huge debate at itoy naaprubahan lamang noong mga huli na. At alam natin na it (the RAT) is not as accurate as compared to PCR test na mas accurate (the PCR) po yun. But then again, some sectors in society feel that they would rather be not groping in the dark, because during that time the debate was whether kaya o meron tayong enough na mga apparatus, enough na mga machines, enough PCR testing machines and during that time we didn’t have enough. So kaya nagkaroon ng debate during that time.”
On the part of Bohol, Yap agreed with the BMS’ view on the use of RAT.
He said that the RAT should not be used haphazardly and without coordination with competent medical professionals.
The governor said the RAT is being used with proper coordination with doctors, at the end of the quarantine period for those subjected to the 14-day quarantine such as the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and the locally stranded individuals (LSIs).
Yap said the RAT is not being used as a diagnostic tool to determine if a person is infected with the virus causing Covid or not.
He added that the RAT is most effective at the end of the 14 days quarantine period. He added there is a danger in indiscriminately using the RAT which may lead to a waste of resources.
In a letter dated June 6, 2020, signed by BMS president Dr. Jefferson Ong, the doctors presented their position on the use of the RAT and expressed preference to the use of PCR.
A separate story on the BMS letter is located in the front page of this week’s issue of the Bohol Tribune.
According to an explanation by Ong in an earlier radio interview over “Open Forum”, he said the RAT measures the antibodies while the PCR detects the presence of the virus that causes Covid infection.