No FDA-Approved Self-Test Kits – DOH

The Department of Health (DOH) has reminded the public anew that all COVID-19 antigen tests must still be done by healthcare professionals.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said this type of test should be used only for symptomatic COVID-19 patients, close contacts, and those with history of exposure, in outbreaks and in areas without access to Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmatory testing.

“Currently, there are no FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved COVID-19 self-testing kits. The FDA has not approved any of the self-administered antigen kits. The administering of antigen tests should be done by trained healthcare workers in order to ensure accurate results,” Vergeire said in a statement over the weekend.

The DOH earlier agreed to look into the possibility of allowing self-administered antigen testing after the FDA previously announced that it would start accepting applications for special certification of COVID-19 self-test kits.

In the meantime, Vergeire called on those having flu-like symptoms or have been in close contact with a confirmed or probable case to seek assistance from medical professionals in getting tested.

She also advised those exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms to immediately self-isolate, have a teleconsultation, and get tested.

“In this way, we can immediately respond to the threats of transmission of the virus,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Vice President Leni Robredo expressed frustration on Sunday, Jan. 9, as nearly two years into the pandemic, the government still has to roll out mass testing for COVID-19.

In her weekly radio program BISErbisyong LENI over dzXL, she said the government should have prepared for mass testing to find people with active infection who are asymptomatic or

presymptomatic so that quarantine, and rapid finding and testing of close contacts can prevent the spread of the virus.

“By this time, we should already be dealing with different problems. The testing, vaccinations, contract tracing and enough isolation centers should no longer be a problem because we had enough time to prepare for this,” Robredo said in Filipino.

She stressed that testing for COVID-19 is very important because its results will become the basis on how an individual and the community should act.

With the recent sharp increases in confirmed COVID cases, the presidential aspirant brought back last week the “Swab Cab” services of the Office of the Vice President to give free mobile antigen testing in partnership with the local government of Quezon City, the Office of the Vice President’s Angat Buhay, and UBE Express. – With Pia Lee-Brago