Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 27) — The cheaper and non-invasive COVID-19 saliva testing is set for nationwide rollout on February 1, Philippine Red Cross chairman and Sen. Richard Gordon said on Wednesday.
“Our goal is to go nationwide by Feb. 1,” Gordon said in a statement. The PRC opened on Monday its saliva-based testing services in Mandaluyong City, where its headquarters is located, as well as in its laboratory in Port Area, Manila.
The PRC secured last week the Health department’s approval to conduct saliva tests following its completion of a pilot study on 1,000 samples. In the test run, 17 positive cases were detected through the saliva tests, while nine were detected through the swab tests, Gordon said.
The organization’s saliva test still employs the gold standard RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) technique used in nasal swab samples. Instead of inserting a swab into the nostril and throat to collect samples, however, one may now simply deposit 1.5 ml to 2 ml of saliva through a straw into a container.
A saliva test costs ₱2,000, but Gordon earlier said this could still be lowered if more people would avail of the test. Booking for the service would be done online through the PRC website.
Saliva tests also have faster turnaround time, with results expected in around 6 to 12 hours, as opposed to swab test results which would take at least a day.
Health Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire earlier clarified that only the PRC is authorized to conduct saliva testing for now. She said experts would first need to assess the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine validation study on saliva testing before other groups can offer the same service.
