Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 5) — OCTA Research on Wednesday said the demand for COVID-19 tests is increasing as cases steadily rise in Metro Manila, evidently putting pressure on testing laboratories.
OCTA Fellow Guido David said Metro Manila reached a new high of 40% positivity rate as of Wednesday morning.
“We’re seeing a 40% positivity rate and that is a major concern right now. The highest positivity rate has been 34% already. Now it’s a new high and that means, there’s now a strain in the testing system of Metro Manila,” he told CNN Philippines.
He said antigen testing is a good option, especially during a surge, due to its accessibility, short result wait time, and lower cost.
“I know that the RT-PCR testing is limited in terms of capacity. We saw that during the surge last year, the Delta surge. But we can augment this with antigen testing,” David added.
While the RT-PCR remains to be the gold standard in tests, the Department of Health (DOH) advises the use of antigen tests on individuals who are symptomatic or exposed to a positive case.
For those taking antigen tests, the DOH said a positive result means you likely have COVID-19. If negative but symptomatic, you need to isolate and get an RT-PCR test. If you’re a close contact but without symptoms, you have to be tested on the fifth day with RT-PCR. If you were not exposed and have no symptoms, then an antigen test is unreliable.
The department said the DOH, the Food and Drug Administration, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, and other experts, are looking into the possible use of antigen self-test kits.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, in a television interview, said they are determining the right test to use at the right time to ensure there are no inaccurate results.
The country’s positivity rate stands at 31.7% as of Wednesday afternoon, which means almost 1 in 3 people tested for COVID-19 turned out infected.
New COVID-19 infections nationwide soared to 10,775 – nearly double the count on Tuesday, bringing the total to 2,871,745.
Private vehicles wait for their turn at an RT-PCR testing facility along Gil Fernando Ave. Sta. Elena in Marikina City https://t.co/sDo55hwVGt
📸 Henry Matulac/CNN Philippines pic.twitter.com/znq8xFzG9W
— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) January 4, 2022
