COVID-19 TESTS, HOW THEY WORK
By: Venus F. Avecilla, GPC–BDH | Photo By: GPC–BDH | Date: September 21, 2020.
ORIENTATION ON COVID-19 TESTS. Patients and watchers at the Out Patient Department of Bacnotan District Hospital listen to Medical Technologist 1 Melanie Holt as she conducts orientation on CoViD-19 Tests on September 21, 2020. Also discussed was the “new normal” brought about by the pandemic and how to personally help to prevent the spread of the virus.
Bacnotan District Hospital (BDH) recognizes how life changed during the pandemic and as part of its commitment in public education to promote public health, hospital administration conducts an orientation on CoViD-19 Tests, a tool to measure the extent of the virus and to quickly identify and isolate those afflicted with the disease, to the patients and watchers at the Out Patient Department on September 21, 2020.
Medical Technologist I Melanie Holt discussed the two main ways to test for infection with SARS-CoV2, the coronavirus that causes CoViD-19 disease namely RT-PCR, a sensitive test that looks for the RNA of the virus; and Rapid Testing, a test which measures the antibody response to virus in blood serum. RT-PCR is very specific and sensitive while current antibody tests for the novel coronavirus haven’t been fully tested yet to be sure they are reliable which is why, between the two, the World Health Organization recommends RT-PCR. False negative results from rapid tests may cause patients to be wrongly discharged as they are still infected and capable of spreading CoViD-19.
Ms. Holt extensively explained the sensitivity of such tests and mentioned that the sensitivity of swab test is affected by the timing of collection and the amount of virus staying in the body (if present) and the best time for collection of samples.
Also part of the CoViD-19 Testing Orientation, the various ways on how to protect oneself against CoViD-19 like the proper way to wear face masks and the minimum health standards to be followed was discussed, as well as RA11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. Section 6 (F).
