SAN FERNANDO, PAMPANGA – Chinese biotech firm BGI group launched its own molecular and diagnostic laboratory in San Fernando, Pampanga to help boost the country’s Covid-19 testing capacity. According to the Chinese Embassy, the new laboratory aims to provide additional 3,000 more testings to help Philippines to increase its detection capacity of the virus. BGI’s Molecular and Diagnostic Pathology Laboratory, …

In battling COVID-19, the Philippines approach has been very sensitive and more in population management, rather than emphasizing going to experiments to find and isolate the virus from further spread. In fact, the increasing number of COVID cases and the number of deaths was due to unavailability of testing and validation of the cases during this time. Some would consider …

Rapid tests have been being used to recognize people that get infected by the new coronavirus (Covid-19). However, currently the nation’s COVID-19 task force will administer more polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which are believed to be more accurate than rapid tests. “It turns out that not all rapid tests are effective,” the task force’s head, Doni Monardo, said during …

The test kit for UP-developed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is ready for field trials, just as the epidemic was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on Wednesday. Advertisement Thousands of the kits will be sent for validation testing to many hospitals to decide if they are viable enough to be commercially available. In comparison to over – the-counter …

Senators expressed their concern about the limited number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) test kits available in the country. The stock on hand is sufficient for 2,000 tests, Dr. Rosanna Ditangco of the Tropical Medicine Research Institute (RITM) testified during a Senate investigation. Ditangco added that the institute had sought an additional P43 million in funding for’ various needs,’ including …

The Department of Health (DOH) should speed up its procurement of 2019 novel acute respiratory disease coronavirus (2019 nCoV ARD) rapid test kits in light of two confirmed cases in the country, one of which led to death, a senator said Wednesday. The call was made by Senator Francis Tolentino a day after the Senate held a hearing on the …