CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Cebu City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is urging those who took antigen tests at home to report positive results to them.
Councilor Joel Garganera, the deputy chief implementor of the EOC, said that those the results must be reported so that their isolation can be monitored.
“Actually daghan kaayog naghilom-hilom. Mao na kana atong resulta, underdeclared gyod na siya. Daghan og nag-isolate lang silag ilaha,” said Garganera. “Pero maayo gyod unta labi nag antigen tests sila, ngadto sa BHERTs (Barangay Health Emegency Response Team), sa EOC para mamonitor ilang condition.”
Garganera also notes that two home antigen tests kits have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These are kits from Abbott Panbio and Labnovation Technologies.
With antigen kits being available to the public very soon, the EOC expects a rise of self-testing done in households.
READ: Home isolation now preferred — Cebu City EOC
With this, Garganera urges residents to report their results to the EOC for proper guidance on their isolation.
This way, they will also get the necessary documents that may be required for workers upon going to work such as the claiming of benefits from SSS, GSIS, and insurance companies.
Aside from this, the EOC’s TeleGabay doctors can also help them manage their symptoms with proper medications.
Garganera said that the country may be moving towards self-testing and eventually people will have access to self-test kits.
The EOC is planning to create a website where residents can register their results so EOC can easily trace and record the cases.
For now, residents are urged to simply call the EOC hotlines if they have symptoms and get tested as much as possible.
The EOC said that with home isolation encouraged, more people will choose to recuperate from home now and treating COVID-19 will become a household matter rather than that of the government.
/bmjo
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