COVID-19 testing blues

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

Testing kits and the capacity of the Sub National Laboratories for COVID-19 testing are challenges in dealing with the disease.

This was the assessment of health officials in Western and Central Visayas, based on a statement from the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV).

The statement cited Department of Health Directors Marlyn Convocar (Western Visayas) and Jaime Bernadas (Central Visayas) as saying that COVID-19 testing kits “are not infinite.”

“The testing kits are to be prioritized to those who need it most to enable the Sub National Laboratory (SNL) at Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC in Iloilo City) to comply and cope with the capacity of the specimens that they will handle per day,” the OPAV statement said.

The capacity of the testing laboratories are also limited, prompting health authorities to send specimens from Negros Occidental to the SNL of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City to de-clog and ease up the testing in WVMC for Panay and nearby islands.

“Nevertheless, OPAV is looking for additional resources to increase capacity of our testing centers,” Bernadas said.

 

VIRUS HUNTING

The Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas will shift its coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) surveillance to a more systematic and scientific method, according to a statement from the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas.

Assistant Sec. Anthony Gerard “Jonji” Gonzales, who is also the OPAV Special Concerns Officer for Western Visayas, announced the move in a press conference earlier this month.

The DOH will use the Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) commonly known as “ILI-SARI” Protocol. An online application will be used by health workers, where the collective results will be studied, assessed, and locations with possible transmission will be easily mapped out/traced for the purpose of management of the containment of COVID.

The protocol aims to “hunt down” COVID in the barangays and sitios in all cities and towns in Region 6. This manner, according to DOH and OPAV, will de-stigmatize, enhance the tracing, and better manage the COVID responses down to the sitio levels.

The protocol also aims to optimize the resources of the DOH and all divisions and health units towards more rationalized use of manpower and testing.

ILIs are those that have contracted fever with body temperatures of not less than 38C, and who have been experiencing cough within the last 10 days.

SARIs are those who have contracted fever with body temperatures of not less than 38C, and who have been experiencing cough within the last 10 days. SARIs require hospitalization.

“Gin-agreehan namon sa meeting for the past two days nga ang Western Visayas Center for Health Development shall adopt the Enhanced Severe Acute Respiratory Infection or Infection-Like Illness surveillance together with the Interim Guidelines on the clinical management of adult patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection,” according to DOH-6 regional director Marlyn Convocar.

DOH-7 Regional Director Jaime Bernadas said that the ILI-SARI Protocol is already existing in all regions in the country.

“We just enhanced it to address surveillance for Influenza-Like Illness – at this time – with the COVID-19 problem… and install it in all municipalities, provinces, and the hospitals,” Bernadas added.

The two directors added that using the protocol, the health sector will be enabled to comply with the different algorithms, adding that there will be uniformity in applying the protocol from surveillance, to testing, to transport, and referral of patients.

They clarified that this protocol was in concurrence of OPAV and the local chief executives who will be among the lead in making the implementation possible.

“Local Chief Executives will be among the frontlines of this ILI-SARI Protocol.

Local Government Health Workers are necessary for this surveillance protocol to be applied uniformly and effectively,” Bernadas added.