No testing kits for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Iloilo? Good news for Ilonggos as help is on the way!
Mayor Jerry Treñas announced on his official Facebook page that a certain group from Manila is sending 100 test kits for COVID-19 to Iloilo City.
“Let’s start the day with a good news! 100 test kits for COVID-19 will be arriving in Iloilo City anytime today! It was donated from a group from Manila not even Ilonggos because they saw my call in social media,” said Treñas.
UPDATE: Treñas said that DOH will send accredited medical technologist to do the testing in Iloilo City.
Aside from the kits, the city must have accredited laboratories and medical technologists to perform the testing. Treñas previously said that there are three laboratories in the city capable of COVID-19 testing but those are not yet accredited by Department of Health (DOH) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These labs are in University of the Philippines in Iloilo, University of San Agustin, and Western Visayas Medical Center.
Treñas announced that they are now working for accreditation.
“DOH is now working with laboratories here Iloilo to try to accredit the medtechs and centers to read the tests. Thank you for hearing my plea to make testing faster here in Western Visayas,” Treñas added.
Under the Department of Health’s updated decision tool, only the elderly, those with underlying conditions and those whose ailments have progressed to severe or critical would be tested for the virus.
Approved COVID-19 Test Kits
Recently, FDA provided an initial list of approved COVID-19 Test Kits for commercial use. The four kits in the list below have complied with the requirements as per FDA Memorandum No. 2020-006 entitled, “Issuance of Special Certification for Imported Test Kits of COVID-19.” These are PCR-based kits used in laboratories, and not point-of-care kits.
Nucleic acid detection kit for 2019 nCov manufactured by Shanghai GenoeDx Biotech Co., Ltd of China and distributed by S&S Enterprise;
Novel coronavirus 2019-nCov nucleic acid detection kit (fluorescence PCR method) manufactured by Beijing Applied Biological Technologies Co., Ltd of China and distributed by Sahar International;
AllplexTM 2019-nCov Assay manufactured by Seegene Inc. of Seoul, Korea and distributed by Endure Medical, Inc.; and
SOLGENT DiaplexQ TM Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCov) Detection Kit by Solgent Co., Ltd. of Daejeon, South Korea and distributed by Wellness Pro Incorporated.
No details yet which approved COVID-19 testing kit will be used in Iloilo City.
