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UP health institute eyed as coronavirus testing hub: Health chief

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<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QTX_SltflVs?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>MANILA - The Philippine health department said Sunday it was considering tapping the University of the Philippines-National Institute of Health in Manila as a testing center for potential cases of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).</p><p>The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa City is currently the country&#x27;s lone facility that tests oral and nasal swabs from potential coronavirus patients nationwide.</p><p>&quot;Baka itong darating na linggo... iyong UP-NIH iyan na iyong tinitingnan nating susunod na magkakaroon ng kakayahan magsuri ng swabs,&quot; Health Secretary Francisco Duque III told DZMM. </p><p>(Perhaps this week, we will look at giving UP-NIH the capacity to test swabs.) </p><p>Established in 1998, the UP-NIH is &quot;a network of various research and extension units specializing in health and socio-biomedical concerns,&quot; it said in its <a href="http://nih.upm.edu.ph/about-nih/organization">website</a>.</p><p>Duque said that to provide support to RITM, five facilities in different parts of the countries are <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/03/03/20/5-more-coronavirus-testing-centers-in-final-preparation-stage-doh">being prepared</a> as &quot;sub-national reference laboratories.&quot;</p><p>Two of these laboratories are in Metro Manila, while one each is in Cebu, Davao and Northern Luzon.</p><p>The health department on Saturday confirmed the country&#x27;s 6th case of the novel coronavirus and its l<a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/07/20/code-red-philippines-coronavirus-cases-rise-to-6-doh-confirms-local-transmission">ocal transmission</a>. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/07/20/duterte-oks-declaration-of-state-of-public-health-emergency-amid-coronavirus-spread-go">Duterte OKs declaration of state of public health emergency amid coronavirus spread- Go</a></li></ul><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/news/03/08/20200308-covid19-rtr.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>A swab to be used for testing novel coronavirus is seen in the supplies of Harborview Medical Center&#x27;s home assessment team during preparations to visit the home of a person potentially exposed to novel coronavirus at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, US Feb. 29, 2020. <em>David Ryder, Reuters</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>There is a &quot;global shortage&quot; of re-agents, materials and chemicals needed to test potential COVID-19 cases, said Duque. </p><p>Only those with coughs and colds who recently traveled abroad or were from an area where there is localized transmission of COVID-19 should be tested for the pathogen, he said. <br/> <br/>&quot;Hindi ka puwedeng mag-test nang kaliwa&#x27;t kanan... kundi mauubusanan ka at iyong mga taong dapat ma-test mo, wala ka nang pang-test dahil kung sino-sino na lang pinagbigyan mo,&quot; he said. </p><p>(You can&#x27;t do tests left and right. Otherwise, you&#x27;ll run out of materials for people who really need to be tested because you said yes to just anybody who wanted to tested.) </p><p>&quot;Sino bang may ayaw i-test lahat? Kung puwede nga lang, i-test mo ang 100 milyong Pilipino, pero the reality on the ground is hindi kaya. <br/> <br/>(Who doesn&#x27;t want to test everyone? If it&#x27;s only possible, it&#x27;s good to test all 100 million Filipino, but the reality on the ground is it&#x27;s not feasible.)</p><p>Across the world, there have been almost 105,000 COVID-19 cases recorded in 95 countries and territories with 3,556 deaths, as of Sunday.</p><p>The spread of the virus &quot;can be significantly slowed or even reversed through the implementation of robust containment and control activities,&quot; said the World Health Organization. With a report from Agence France-Presse </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/03/08/20/covid19-coronavirus-ncov-latest-developments-facts-death-toll-infected-ncov">Coronavirus: latest developments worldwide </a></li></ul><div><strong>DZMM, March 8, 2020 </strong></div>

<p>The health department said Sunday it was considering tapping the University of the Philippines-National Institute of Health in Manila as a testing center for potential cases of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). </p>

The health department said Sunday it was considering tapping the University of the Philippines-National Institute of Health in Manila as a testing center for potential cases of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).