Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 20) — A former health secretary on Friday urged authorities to prioritize the testing of suspected COVID-19 patients showing severe symptoms.
Aside from the confirmatory test, a COVID-19 patient must be tested twice before being discharged from the hospital.
[Translation: If the symptoms are more severe, the more infectious that person is. If we prioritize symptomatic patients, the earlier we can detect positive cases.]
She added the early confirmation of severe cases could help the country manage the spread of the disease with earlier contact tracing and enforced quarantine.
According to the World Health Organization, 80 percent of patients only experience “mild illness” and eventually recover. It added that some 14 percent experience severe illness while five percent were critically ill.
Commonly reported COVID-19 symptoms are fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath. In more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death.
President Rodrigo Duterte, members of the Presidential Family, his Cabinet secretaries, and a number of Senators have undergone testing after coming in contact with patients despite being asymptomatic. The move has earned criticisms, with social media comments pointing out that the country’s limited stocks of rapid diagnostic test kits should instead be used for those exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19.
“Kaliwa’t kanan po ang kagustuhan ng ating mamamayan na magpa-test sa COVID-19. Nananawagan po tayo sa ating mga kababayan na bigyang prayoridad ang mga nagpapakita ng malinaw na sintomas,” Garin said.
[Translation: So many people want to get tested. I am appealing to the public to prioritize testing those with clear symptoms of coronavirus.]
The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Vicente Sotto Memorial Center, Southern Philippines Medical Center, Baguio General Hospital, San Lazaro Hospital, and the Lung Center of the Philippines are conducting COVID-19 testing.
Over 3,000 test kits have arrived in the country and on their way to accredited Philippine hospitals.
Ex-Health Chief and now-Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin said the Philippines should adopt this policy considering the limited testing kits and medical capacity in the country.
“Mas malala ang sintomas, mas makakahawa. If we prioritize symptomatic patients, mas maaga nating makikilala ang mga pasyenteng positibo,” she said in a statement.
