The Department of Health (DOH) has issued guidelines on the use of self-administered or home COVID-19 antigen test kits a week after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the application of two test kit brands.
Based on the guidelines, the test kits are “recommended only for symptomatic individuals within seven days from onset of symptoms, especially if capacity for timely RT-PCR results is limited or not available.”
“Please use it rationally, use it at the right time, gagamit lang pag nakakaramdam ng sintomas dahil ang antigen ay most accurate pa rin kapag kayo ay nakakaranas ng sintomas ng COVID-19,” DOH USec. Maria Rosario Vergeire said in the Jan. 25 DOH media forum.
Based on DOH Memorandum No. 2022-0033, home test kits are not recommended for asymptomatic close contacts and screening of asymptomatic individuals.
The DOH reiterated that the gold standard for diagnosing COVID-19 is RT-PCR testing.
Furthermore, those who test positive using the antigen kits among symptomatic individuals and suspect or probable COVID-19 cases and their close contacts “shall be interpreted and managed as a confirmed COVID-19 case.”
Those who will turn out positive are subject to isolation protocols and are obliged to report their results to their respective Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams.
“Asymptomatic close contacts or individuals with a high index of suspicion for COVID-19 who test negative with self-administered antigen test are recommended to immediately quarantine, conduct symptom monitoring, and consult with a healthcare provider,” a portion of the memorandum read.
Local government units will monitor the use of antigen tests, and the public is likewise urged to report fake and substandard test kits to the FDA. – Report from Naomi Tiburcio/AG-rir
Watch the report here:
