The Department of Health (DOH) in the region said Friday it expects by Monday at the latest the result of the “2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019 nCoV) laboratory test”, which is currently being conducted at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) on the specimen taken from a 10-year-old Brazilian person under investigation (PUI) at the Ospital ng Palawan (ONP).
Dr. Mario Baquilod, the regional director of DOH MIMAROPA told Palawan Daily News (PDN) Friday, January 31, that after two consecutive confirmatory tests resulted negative for the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), RITM is now finally conducting a “specific test for the 2019 nCoV”.
“Ang aking hinihintay ngayon ay ‘yong specific result in ‘Coronavirus 2019’. Iyon ang hinihintay namin ngayon, ang result na ‘yon. So what we are waiting now is the result ng 2019 nCoV, kasi may capability na ang RITM to do the test. Noong last Thursday nag-start na sila mag-set up so we are just waiting the result. We don’t have to send the samples to Australia,” said Baquilod.
“Nag-set up sila ng Thursday-Friday, they can start doing the test as early as today or Saturday. We are expecting that on 24 to 48 hours [after] pa. Oo, kung nakapag-start sila probably today or by Saturday, mga ganun [nga na by Monday ang result],” Baquilod added.
Baquilod said RITM has now the capacity to test the 2019 nCoV, unlike in the past when specimens still need to be forwarded to a laboratory in Australia for confirmatory testing.
He clarified that the two confirmatory tests that “turned out negative” for SARS could not specifically ascertain the 2019 nCoV test result.
Baquilod reiterated that the two past confirmatory tests were conducted on two samples from the PUI, wherein specimens were taken during the admission and past between 24-48 hours from the time admitted.
“Actually it is not negative for other virus, but for the SARS, negative for SARS, ‘yong SARS lang. Kasi ang Coronavirus it is a family: the MERS, ‘yong SARS. So ‘yon ang naging negative – for the SARS. But we are now conducting another test, specific now for the 2019 nCoV, ‘yong ‘Novel’, ginagawan pa ng test,” said Baquilod.
He added two confirmatory tests were recently done for the SARS Coronavirus part, in order to satisfy the protocol on testing.
Baquilod further stated that the same specimen will be used for the 2019 nCov test, which will be the last and final test
Meanwhile, Baquilod said the 10-year-old Brazilian girl at the ONP is “doing well” and now without a fever.