DOH: 'Shortage' of reagents affects genome sequencing output
MANILA, Philippines — The shortage of reagents needed to detect the presence of new coronavirus variants has affected the country’s biosurveillance efforts, the Department of Health said Monday.
The delay in the delivery of reagents or the main ingredients used for chemical-based tests led to the low genome sequencing output last week, with the Philippine Genome Center testing only 48 samples, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a briefing Monday. The PGC has the capacity to sequence more than 700 samples each week.
Genome sequencing, which analyzes a sample taken from a diagnosed patient and compares it with others, is used to check for the presence of COVID-19 variants.
“Last week, the reagents that were supposed to be delivered were kind of delayed… That's why the big machine was put to a stop because we do not have enough reagents and therefore the UP National Institutes of Health and the PGC tried to set up this smaller machine where it can only run 48 samples per process,” DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a briefing.
Advance procurement
Vergeire cited a “global shortage” of sequencing reagents. To address this problem, the government will now purchase these critical supplies in shipments good for six months.
“Instead of procuring two to three months' worth of supply, we are now going to procure or have this order for about six months so we can be assured that for the next six months, we will have these reagents so we can continue processing the sequencing,” she said.
The Philippines is procuring reagents from suppliers based in Singapore and the United States.
Vergeire said the department is fastracking the release of reagents, which arrived in the country Sunday evening, from the Bureau of Customs. Meanwhile, sequencing kits are expected to arrive by Wednesday or Thursday.
“Hopefully, we can already start the sequencing for 750 samples again,” she said.
In the meantime, the PGC will run sequencing for another 48 samples, including those from the Cordillera Administrative Region and other targeted areas, this week.
Funds for genome sequencing
Vergeire also said DOH is already in talks with the Department of Budget and Management to provide funds amounting to P362 million needed for genome sequencing. The funding for this effort was not included in the signed 2021 budget.
“We submitted a proposal to the DBM and this included one year supply of reagents, testing kits and other logistical requirements for the PGC, University of the Philippines National Institutes of Health and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine to genome sequencing until the end of the year,” she said.
Health authorities have so far detected 17 cases of the new and more infectious coronavirus variant in the Philippines, 12 of which are from Bontoc in Mountain Province.
The DOH has been reminding the public that health protocols mandated by the government remain the best precautionary measure against COVID-19 infection, regardless of the variant. — Gaea Katreena Cabico
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