Pasig City’s molecular diagnostic laboratory which is capable of detecting the SARS-CoV2 pathogen that causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19) will soon be fully operational, Mayor Vico Sotto said.
In his official Facebook page, Sotto said the laboratory, located at Pasig City Childrens’ Hospital, the city’s referral center for COVID-19 patients, is currently on partial operation.
“Recently we've had difficulty/backlogs in testing. But with our Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory nearing 100 percent operations, we will be able to solve this problem,” the mayor posted.
Sotto said the laboratory is capable of conducting reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing, which is considered the “gold standard” for COVID-19 testing.
The facility, he said is also equipped to conduct enhanced chemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) testing, a type of antibody test that uses blood samples to determine if a patient has been exposed to the virus and if he has developed antibodies against it.
The machines installed at the laboratory could also be used to detect other diseases such as dengue, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), among others.
With the laboratory nearing full operation, Sotto is seeking a suggestion from the public on what to name the laboratory which is needed for its registration with the Department of Health (DOH).
“Pag may nag-suggest na Vico Lab, magmumulta ng P500 (If someone suggests Vico Lab, they would be fined P500),” he said in jest.
After Metro Manila reverted to modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), Pasig adjusted the curfew hours from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Pasig City has 2,194 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 868 recoveries, 129 deaths, and 1,197 active as of Aug. 7.