Four hours. That’s how long it took for me to get the results of my antigen Covid-19 test a week or so ago.
According to the staff of a private hospital in San Pedro City where I had my tests done, it would normally take one to two hours before the results of my antigen tests could be released to me.
In reality, it took twice as long before I finally lost my patience and passed my receipt on to a hospital staff, after which it took only five minutes before the results were finally given to me.
In between, I had lounged at the hospital entrance with some patients exhibiting flu symptoms; took breakfast at a nearby convenience store; and lunched at a carinderia (which, fortunately, was empty at the time).
Fortunately for me and for all those I had been with during that wait, my test came out negative.
Imagine how worse it would’ve been if the results came out the other way around!
-o0o-
With the recent new avalanche of Covid-19 cases, there’s now also a deluge of Covid-19 tests swamping laboratories not only in the province of Laguna but the entire country as well.
Compounding the issue is the fact that many laboratories are now also facing staff shortages due to their personnel catching the virus themselves.
In fact, I learned later on that the Covid-19 lab at the hospital where I took my antigen test was down to two personnel who not only had to conduct the tests but also encode and print every result.
The result: backlogs in the release of test results that could take not only hours but days, sometimes even weeks.
I remember watching a TV news segment about a woman who had to wait for more than a week before getting her RT-PCR test result – when she no longer exhibits the symptoms of Covid-19!
Imagine isolating yourself for two weeks, worrying about the result of your RT-PCR test – only to have yourself isolated for another two weeks because your test came out positive!
-o0o-
Let’s be clear here: I am not putting the blame on the hospitals on the laboratories here.
In fact, the lab technicians who continue doing their work despite the tremendous risks may as well be called the “unsung heroes” of this pandemic.
What I am irritated about is some government officials’ continued lackadaisical response to the need for additional testing facilities or, as some sectors had pushed continually, for mass testing.
Almost two years into the pandemic, our health officials continue to resist calls for mass testing or, at least, subsidizing the RT-PCR tests that continue to be unaffordable to our poorer citizens.
So when are these people going to act – if all of us had been infected by the virus?