96% of Specimen Samples from 3 Cebu Cities Negative for Covid-19

The rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu are showing promising development as 95.8 percent or 9,474 of the 9,888 specimen samples yielded negative results.

Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, chief pathologist of the Department of Health (DOH)-Central Visayas, said during Project Balik Buhay briefing here on Thursday, that the samples were collected from residents in 97 out of the total 137 barangays in the three cities.

Of the total of 9,888 tested individuals, 2,484 are from Cebu City; 3,603 from Mandaue; and 3,801 from Lapu-Lapu. Of the 9,474 negative results, 2,349 are from Cebu City, 3,400 from Mandaue and 3,725 from Lapu-Lapu.

Those who tested negative, Loreche said, will no longer undergo polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing.

She also said that the 214 individuals or 2.16 percent who were tested positive of immunoglobulin G (IgG) will also no longer undergo PCR test. Of this number, 72 are from Cebu City, 105 from Mandaue, and 37 from Lapu-Lapu.

Individuals who are IgG positive may have been earlier exposed to or contracted certain viruses like the Covid-19 but their immune system had already developed antibodies to fight it.

However, the 200 individuals who were tested positive of immunoglobulin M (IgM) and mix of IgG and IgM (IgG-IgM) that represent 2.02 percent of the target individuals tested, will have to undergo swab PCR testing.

Loreche said the team assigned to collect samples visited 49 out of 80 barangays in this capital city, 22 out of 27 villages in Mandaue, and 26 out of 30 barangays in Lapu-Lapu.

Of the 39,645 targeted individuals representing 10 percent of the total household in 137 barangays in the three cities, the Project Balik Buhay team was able to accomplish 17,267 rapid diagnostic tests or 43.55 percent of the total target.

“There is a difference between those that were accomplished, which means blood sample collected. The number of samples tested out of the number collected, we have certain percentage of the samples that are still in the laboratory,” Loreche said.

She stressed the need to conduct community testing as advocated by the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) in order to get scientific data on the concentration of the coronavirus in certain areas.

“Because (in community testing), we will be able to identify which areas that have cases so that we will be able to proceed one step further and that is the PCR testing,” she said.

The method, she said, will give health authorities an easy way to identify infected individuals who need to be isolated and treated.

The strategic testing conducted under the Project Balik Buhay initiated by Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino, the three mayors in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, the Department of Health (DOH)-Central Visayas and the private sector was done to gather evidence-based guidelines of local government units in transitioning to general community quarantine. (PNA)