We’ll act like we’ve got it, now test us like we do

Act like you’ve got it.

The United Kingdom’s National Health Service used that line to encourage people to stay home. New Zealand’s prime minister said it to drive home her point about social distancing. But at this point, it’s also probably something you’ve already read in a tweet or on a post on your news feed. After all, it’s catchy, simple, and very real. Acting like you have COVID-19 means wearing a mask, washing your hands, practicing social distancing, and getting tested if you’re showing symptoms.

But when I see this message pop up on my social media feed, I also can’t help but wonder, how realistic is “acting like you’ve got it” for us Filipinos?

Low-income families in Metro-Manila live in small homes. For millions, social distancing is not an option, nor is self-isolation. For those with symptoms, just getting tested is a test in itself since some hospitals are refusing to take on new patients. Those who have been tested, on the other hand, are made to wait weeks for their results to be processed.

Just take the case of a group Filipino seafarers repatriated by the Philippine government late last month. Upon arriving in Manila, they were immediately moved to hotels to begin their mandatory 14-day quarantine. A few days later, the Department of Health (DoH) took swab samples and instructed them to expect their results in three to five days. Almost a month after arriving in Manila they were still stuck in quarantine waiting for their results to be released.

The country’s testing capacity leaves a lot to be desired for. Thankfully, the number of tests being conducted per day has been increasing due to a public-private sector initiative called Taskforce T3 (Test, Trace, Treat). The initiative aims to expand the country’s testing capacity from 5,000 to 30,000 per day by May 31.

Our ability to increase and continue testing is key to slowing the spread of the virus and transitioning into the new normal. This was made clear during a virtual Round Table Discussion (vRTD) that we, at Stratbase-ADR Institute, recently organized to discuss the issues and challenges being faced by the Philippine health care system.

One of our speakers was Dr. Eduardo Banzon, Principal Health Specialist of the Asian Development Bank. He said that the ability to conduct aggressive tracing, testing, and isolation will be fundamental features of the new normal. He also reiterated the need to increase testing capacity to more than 75,000 per day and to develop the ability to return test results in under two days.

The emphasis on testing was also echoed by our other panelists. Dr. Ronald Mendoza, Dean of the Ateneo School of Government, underscored the importance of extensive test, trace, and treat capabilities in preventing a relapse of the Philippine economy. ANAKALUSUGAN Party-list Representative Mike Defensor also reiterated this point, saying that mass testing is a critical component in fighting the virus, but lamented that the DoH is weeks behind in terms of its testing capacity.

Indeed, while the number of tests is increasing, our ability to process these tests and release their results is lagging behind. Currently, there are only 31 accredited laboratories nationwide that can process COVID-19 tests, but a total of 90 more are awaiting DoH accreditation. Furthermore, there also seems to be a backlog of unreleased test results at the DoH due to the lack of manpower.

Making the tests inclusive and quickly releasing the results are important for the quick identification of positive patients, their treatment, and their swift isolation to prevent further spreading. This sort of information is crucial to determining if we can safely get back to normal activities such as going to work, taking public transportation, and re-opening schools.

Placing Luzon under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) was just a band-aid solution. And the fact that we are moving towards ending the ECQ without the benefit of testing is the government subtly transferring the burden of public health and safety onto the private sector and to individuals themselves.

So, while all indications point to a shift towards fewer restrictions, by no means, can we, as responsible members of society, go back to our normal activities without a sense of heightened precaution. While we wait for our testing capacity to increase and for labs to be accredited, we must do our part.

We must act like we’ve got it. But then again, acting will only get us so far. At some point, they’ll have to test us like we’ve got it too. For this, we need not only the private sector to do its part, but for the government to step up and do its part as well.

Paco A. Pangalangan is the Executive Director of the Stratbase ADR Institute.