Philippines plans pooled COVID-19 testing for Metro Manila

The Philippines is planning to implement "pooled testing" in Metro Manila as a strategy to potentially test all 14 million residents for COVID-19 using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

Testing czar Vince Dizon expressed confidence that this method could make universal testing in the capital region feasible.

He explained that pooled testing involves consolidating samples from groups, such as 10 to 20 individuals, and if the initial test is negative, everyone in the pool is considered negative.

If a pooled test is positive, the pool is reduced in size to identify the positive case.

This initiative was prompted by President Rodrigo Duterte's desire to test every Filipino to gain a clearer understanding of the virus's spread.

Dizon clarified that while pooled testing could cover Metro Manila, testing all Filipinos might not be immediately feasible due to the need to reserve tests for high-incidence areas.