MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) on Tuesday said it will conduct its pilot COVID-19 tests using saliva to more than 1,000 healthcare workers in compliance with the requirements of the Department of Health (DOH) to secure full approval of the new testing method.
In a statement, the PRC said saliva testing is a faster, easier, and more affordable mode of determining the presence of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The method is also simpler and requires less processing.
In conducting the RT-PCR saliva test, the agency said it has partnered with 15 DOH hospitals in Metro Manila to perform the test as part of the healthcare workers’ routine surveillance.
“Prerequisite to the DOH’s requirements, we will test medical front liners as they are the most exposed to the virus. The saliva testing can pave the way to a faster, easier, and cheaper process,” PRC chairman Richard Gordon said.
The test requires a saliva specimen which eliminates the discomfort of swabbing.
It is also believed to reduce costs as the process requires less protection and the need for universal transport medium and swabs. The saliva specimen is also stable at room temperature and does not require cold chain transport.
Gordon said the proposal to use saliva testing is based on studies conducted and approved in other countries.
The saliva testing which has a turnaround time of 3 to 4 hours is expected to be priced at P2,000.
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