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The Philippine National Police (PNP) is studying the use of antigen tests to detect the new coronavirus in its personnel, especially those assigned to the man’s border checkpoints.
The antigen test will be used whenever there is an immediate need to find out if a police officer has contracted Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
The PNP currently has two diagnostic laboratories that use the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test to detect the virus.
Each laboratory, located at Camp Crame and Camp Sotero Cabahug, is capable of performing between 150 and 180 tests per day.
“We will also move to the antigen laboratory in order to get quick results. I have already instructed the Health Service to study the antigen so that we can use it correctly. We will use the antigen if necessary and we want the result in 30 minutes or an hour ”, said the head of the PNP, Camilo Cascolan, in a television interview.
According to the study by the US Food and Drug Administration, antigen tests “rapidly detect protein fragments found in or within the virus by testing samples collected from the nasal cavity with swabs.”
He said this type of diagnostic test can provide results in minutes, but a PCR test is necessary to confirm negative results before making treatment decisions.
As of September 15, 5,206 police officers tested positive for the virus. Of this number, 1,439 were active cases, while there were 16 deaths.
The PNP said that most of the cases were in the National Capital Region.
Police officers who tested positive must isolate themselves for 14 days and undergo another test after quarantine.
Once authorized, they have to rest for seven to 10 more days before going back to work. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo / SunStar Philippines)
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