ILOILO City – Uncomfortable with nasal swabbing? Perhaps the less invasive saliva testing for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is for you. There are now nine specimen collection centers for this kind of test in Western Visayas.
These centers are the St. Paul’s Hospital Iloilo (SPHI) and Iloilo Doctor’s Hospital (IDH) here and the different chapters of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) in Iloilo, Aklan, Antique, Boracay, Capiz, and Guimaras.
The collected saliva samples would then be forwarded to Red Cross’ molecular laboratory in New Townsite, Barangay Sablogon, Passi City, Iloilo for reverse transcription polymerase chain action (RT-PCR) testing.
According to Gilbert Paul Valderrama, administrator of the PRC-Iloilo Chapter, they have pending memorandum of agreements – up for approval of the central office – with three more medical facilities for saliva collection. These are The Medical City and Medicus here and the Holy Mary Women and Children’s Hospital in Pavia, Iloilo.
As of May 6, the Passi PRC molecular laboratory has so far tested 1,562 saliva specimens and 2,166 nasopharyngeal swabs.
What is saliva testing?
Saliva testing is a test that uses saliva to diagnose COVID-19 infections. It also undergoes the RT-PCR technique, which is deemed as the gold standard for COVID-19 testing.
Saliva tests typically require patients to spit into a tube, making them far less invasive than the current nose and throat swab collection methods for COVID-19.
It promises a faster turn-around time from a sample collection and is best suited for use in areas where border entry is critical such as airports, seaports, and terminals.
Former Health secretary Dr. Paulyn Ubial, head of PRC’s molecular laboratories, earlier clarified that saliva testing was not yet covered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) because “hindi pa na-undergo sa health technology assessment ng DOH.”
The saliva COVID-19 test costs P2,000 while the nasopharyngeal swab RT-PCR test costs around P3,800 to P5,000.
How is it done?
Saliva testing is way faster and efficient. One can complete the process in 30 minutes.
First, book online via 1158@redcross.org.ph and select as to where you would want your samples collected.
Do not eat, drink, gargle, smoke or vape for 30 minutes before the scheduled appointment.
Self-collect. Make sure that the patient has personally attached a barcode (serves as identification) on the vial.
Ubial also said the saliva specimen has no expiration.
“Wala man problema kon maligaran sang duha ukon tatlo ka adlaw antes ma-process. It won’t affect the test’s accuracy,” she stressed.
Saliva testing has 98 percent accuracy, Ubial said.
Discussions are ongoing between PRC and DOH as to when they could come up with the guidelines so the public can have the options.
The local governments of Aklan, Antique, Bacolod City, and Negros Occidental are now accepting saliva-based test results from inbound travelers.
The provinces of Iloilo and Guimaras, meanwhile, are waiting for the green light of DOH./PN
