PH Red Cross secures DOH approval to use COVID-19 saliva test

CNN – Published Jan 23, 2021 5:01:32 PM

The laboratory experts panel of the Department of Health (DOH) gave its go signal to use saliva specimen for COVID-19 test, a health official said.

During the Laging Handa briefing on Saturday, DOH Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said the Philippine Red Cross presented the pilot run results earlier this week.

“It was agreed by the laboratory experts panel na pwede nang payagan … gamitin ang saliva as an alternative specimen,” she said.

[Translation: It was agreed by the laboratory experts panel to allow the use of saliva as an alternative specimen.]

Vergeire said they already forwarded the recommendation to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, and informed the Philippine Red Cross of the decision.

According to the DOH official, the laboratory experts panel said that conducting of saliva test should solely be done by PRC laboratories for now.

Before they would allow other laboratories across the country to use saliva tests, Vergeire said they need to see first the results of validation tests of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.

PRC Chairman and Senator Richard Gordon on Monday said the pilot study on saliva COVID-19 testing had encouraging results.

The PRC conducted saliva tests on 1,000 frontliners, where 17 positive cases were detected, while nine were detected through the swab tests.

“So, mas maraming nakuhang positive ‘yung saliva test kaysa doon sa swab test [So, more positive samples were detected through the saliva tests compared to the swab tests],” he told CNN Philippines’ News.PH.

“It only shows that mukhang mas maraming sample ang nakukuha sa saliva test [it seems saliva tests could get more samples]… Dito pag saliva [In saliva tests], you just spit on the tube, on the vial, and you get a lot of sample. That may be better for everyone,” he added.

SOURCE: https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/1/23/pg-red-cross-covid-saliva-test.html???