By HENRY EMPEÑO | Subic Bay Freeport

THE Philippine Red Cross (PRC) began offering here on Monday the Covid-19 saliva test, touted to be a cheaper and more comfortable alternative to the nasal swabbing method to detect Covid-19 infection.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said the PRC opened a saliva collection facility at the PRC-SBMA Covid-19 Testing Center near the Subic Bay Freeport main gate for its Saliva-Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (Saliva RT-PCR) testing program.

The Red Cross, which is chaired by Sen. Richard Gordon, rolled out the saliva testing program in Manila the other week after the Department of Health (DOH) approved the use of saliva as an alternative specimen for RT-PCR testing in PRC laboratories.

“It’s just like the nasopharyngeal swabbing procedure in terms of efficacy because it uses the same system, which is the RT-PCR,” Eisma explained during the project launch.

“But while others find the nasopharyngeal swabbing somewhat painful, this one is not because it’s non-invasive. To top it all, it’s way cheaper than the swab test,” she added.

The saliva test requires patients to spit through a tube into a small specimen collection container. About 1-2 mL of saliva is needed for testing.

The procedure is said to be safer because there is less risk of exposure between the patients and the health care workers collecting the samples.

The PRC also pointed out that with the saliva testing method, processing of the sample in the testing machine takes less time, thus allowing for the release of test results in about 6 to 12 hours.

The saliva test is priced from P1,500 to P2,000 and has an accuracy rate of 98.23%, while the nasal swab test, which is 99% accurate, costs from P3,800 to P5,000.

The Red Cross said that to date, it is the only group to be accredited by DOH to undertake a saliva-based testing method to detect Covid-19 infection.

According to SBMA Deputy Administrator for Health and Safety Ronnie Yambao, there are now two booths dedicated for saliva testing at PRC-SBMA Covid-19 Testing Center, although the testing facility would continue to accommodate those who would prefer the nasopharyngeal swabbing procedure.

Those who want to take the saliva test here should deposit a P2,000 payment to the Philippine Red Cross account number 0132062464009 at Security Bank in Mandaluyong EDSA, and then email proof of payment and details of the person who will get tested to saliva.olongapo@redcross.org.ph.

In response, the Red Cross will email an online registration link for the customer to get the Retrieval Code, which must be presented to at the PRC-SBMA Covid-19 Testing Center in order to proceed with the collection of saliva specimen. ~

TOP PHOTO: The saliva testing method only requires patients to spit on a small funnel to collect the specimen, which shall be tested using the RT-PCR procedure (Photo by Jun Dumaguing)