Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, chairman of the Senate health committee, on Tuesday welcomed the decision of the government’s laboratory experts’ panel to allow the cheaper, faster, and safer saliva tests for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as an alternative to the real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test.
The recommendation of the panel has already been submitted to Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Francisco Duque III.
“Matagal na po nating ni-rekomenda sa DOH na pag-aralan ang saliva testing bilang alternatibo sa kasalukuyang swab test na ginagamit natin. Kaya naman po natutuwa tayo na, sa wakas, aprubado na ang paggamit nito sa bansa,’’ he said. (I have recommended long time ago to the DOH to study the saliva testing as an alternative to the current swab test that we are using. This is why I am happy, that finally, it is now approved for use in the country.)
“Malaking ginhawa po ito sa ating mga kababayan dahil hindi lamang po ito mas mura, accurate din po ito at mas ligtas,’’ he stressed. (This is a big relief to our countrymen, not only because it is cheaper, but it is also accurate and safe.)
Go presided over the Senate committee hearing last October 19, 2020, and asked the DOH, if possible, to adopt the saliva-based COVID-19 testing in the country.
According to him, the test would be much cheaper, faster, and safer and which would significantly help revive the tourism industry.
“At that time, Secretary Duque III said that saliva testing was still being studied by the Health Technology Assessment Council, an independent body created by the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act.
Earlier, the Philippine National Red Cross (PRC) piloted a study to determine the accuracy of tests for COVID-19 using saliva specimens. The initial results have shown that the tests are relatively accurate.
DOH has allowed the initial roll-out of the use of the less expensive saliva test for the new coronavirus but only among PRC molecular laboratories.
The PRC began conducting saliva tests on Monday, January 25, and its molecular laboratories in Mandaluyong and Port Area in Manila are made available.
By February, the PRC expects that all of its 13 molecular laboratories all over the country will have been able to conduct COVID-19 saliva testing.
The laboratory experts’ panel said that only PRC laboratories could conduct the saliva test for now because the validation test result by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) is still pending.
The saliva test reportedly costs P1,500 to P2,000, cheaper than RT-PCR test which costs around P3,800 to P5,000.
Aside from being cheaper, the saliva test also delivers a faster result and is less invasive. A study by the PRC also found that the saliva test is 98.11 percent accurate.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also mentioned that the COVID-19 saliva test is safer as compared to the swab test because the sample is self-collected and does not require direct contact with a health professional.
Other advantages of using saliva specimen collection and testing include allowing the collection of specimen outside hospitals, multiple samples can be easily obtained, a reduced need for health care professionals handling during the sample collection, reduced nosocomial transmission risk (spread of infection in health facilities), reduced test waiting time, and reduced PPE, transport and storage costs. This non-invasive and economical collection method can help in community monitoring, both for asymptomatic infections and can help guide in retesting to clear a patient in ending quarantine.
Go continues to emphasize the need to ensure the availability, accessibility, and affordability of COVID-19 testing as its demand continues to grow amid the ongoing pandemic.
Amid the emergence of new variants of COVID-19 in the country, with three cases being minors, Go appealed to authorities to strengthen the implementation of necessary health protocols to avoid the further spread of the disease.
Go also urged the public to cooperate with the government and follow guidelines imposed by the government and health experts.