“I just don’t know. It’s like gagana ba ‘tong bagay na ‘to sa gan’tong ano, diba?”

DJ Loonyo’s buddy got the ball rolling by gently asking, “So anong alam mo sa mass testing, Loon?”

Loonyo should’ve stopped at “I just don’t know.”

Here’s an idea: if you don’t know much about a subject, it’s okay to say you don’t know anything about it and stop at that. This is so you avoid misinforming people and making yourself look like a fool at the same time.

FACT: The coronavirus polymerase chain reaction or PCR-based test is the gold-standard test for those with the virus. It’s one of the two methods of testing for COVID, the other being Rapid Antibody testing which works but has proven to be unreliable and inaccurate most of the time.

To answer Loonyo’s question, yes, gagana ‘tong bagay na ‘to (PCR testing kit) sa gan’tong ano (mass testing).

 

“I don’t know kung anong gagamitin nila sa mass testing.”

And here is the perfect opportunity to remind everyone what getting tested for the coronavirus looks like. Here’s a quick infographic explainer from University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital:

FACT: COVID-19 PCR-based testing is a 7-step process where patients will have to endure six-inch-long swabs that will scrape samples of biological material from the back of their nose and throat. Nobody has ever died from getting tested, but people have died from the coronavirus.

 

“Kung ano man yung ipapainom nila, kung ano man yung ipapagawa nila, it’s a trial and error.”

Firstly, COVID-19 testing does not involve making anyone ingest anything. If he recently underwent a “coronavirus” test that had him taking a pill, he should sue that clinic and probably force himself to vomit whatever pill that was.

Secondly, by “trial and error” does he mean he equates “mass testing” to finding a vaccine and testing it? If so…. where is he going with that?

via GIPHY

FACT: To date, there is no vaccine to the coronavirus although scientists all over the world are on a race to find one. But we all know it’s going to take some time and even then, we might not even be sure there would be one. After decades of researching and trial and errors, AIDS still has no vaccine. Dengue had one introduced a few years ago but we all know the controversy about that one.

Mass testing, however, is not a “trial and error.” It is crucial to separating the infected from the healthy since a virus is invisible.

 

“Kaya kawawa yung mag-i-intake, kawawa yung magu-under-go nun kasi it’s not 100% proven.”

DJ Loonyo… mass testing doesn’t mean they are testing drugs on you. It is not a vaccine. WTF
They’re testing you for the virus. You can’t die with a swab. If you don’t know what you are talking about, don’t try to influence people to do stupid things like your anti-vaxx BS.

— Kip Oebanda (@kipoebanda) June 2, 2020

It’s amusing how after initially saying “I just don’t know,” Loonyo has rapidly gained the confidence to talk about mass testing and sounding like he’s some kind of authority on it.

FACT: On April 4, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said this about mass testing:

“Hindi po ibig sabihin nito ay lahat ng Pilipino ay itetest natin, ang mass testing po na ating sinasabi ay isang malawakang testing ng mga taong at risk for COVID-19.”

Simply put, mass testing is for those who are showing mild to severe coronavirus symptoms or for those who have been around people who have tested positive. CDC says most people with mild symptoms can just rest at home and isolate themselves. But if you’re worried, you can go to a hospital and request a test.

 

“It shouldn’t be mandatory, it should be encouraged.”

Me at DJ Loonyo’s statement about Mass Testing. pic.twitter.com/fc7h7ilvwP

— #UAAPSeason82Volleyball 🏐🇵🇭 (@VolleyPilipinas) June 3, 2020

For three months now the cry of the people is for the government to show a solid plan for coronavirus testing in the country. It’s a basic first step in making sure we know who is infected so we can isolate people and prevent the increase of cases. Yes, mass testing is a need. One could even say that it should be mandatory.

FACT: As of June 3, there have only been 358,676 COVID-19 tests conducted in the Philippines. Considering that only 328,835 Filipino individuals have been tested over a population of 109M, we’re a far cry from having any “mass testing” conducted.

 

“Depende na sa’yo kung gusto mo i-test yung sarili mo o kung gusto mong paniwalaan yung ano nila.”

FACT: Here’s a frustrating one for you: a few days ago, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III admitted that there has been no mass testing in the country for coronavirus since the beginning. Even after dangerously downgrading the quarantine to a GCQ and letting thousands of Filipinos go back to work, even after getting all that cash and drowning the country in debt, we still don’t have a budget for mass testing. Or maybe we do and it’s not being allocated properly?

#MassTestingNow

 

“For me, why would you test me? I’m a human being, I will react kung ano yung ipapainom mo sa’kin. Pa’no pag yung i-papainom mo sa’kin magrereact ng medyo malala yung katawan ko. I’m dead.”

Once again for people at the back, MASS TESTING DOES NOT INVOLVE INGEESTING SOME SORT OF PILL. It’s simply a method used to detect the presence of the deadly coronavirus in your body.

If you haven’t got that down yet, please refer to points 3 and 4 of this article or watch this great explanatory video by The Guardian:

FACT: South Korea and New Zealand are countries that have been successful in slowing down COVID-19 in its tracks. South Korea prioritized the development of hundreds of thousands of test kits and made it free for its citizens. They opened hundreds of testing centers and even developed drive-through testing that only took 10 minutes. New Zealand had one of the highest testing rates per day in the world making it possible for them to isolate patients immediately.

 

“So hindi ako naniniwala sa mass testing na ‘yan.”

In the end, ladies and gents, education is still the key to understanding everything that’s going on around us. To stay educated, you have to surround yourself with reliable sources of news information and read up on the latest happenings. It’s not rocket science to operate Google or to visit Facebook pages of GMA News, CNN Philippines, and ABS-CBN News, right? Put all your social media time to good use!

For his part, DJ Loonyo has already issued an apology(?) on Facebook, saying that he thought he was talking about “clinical trials”:

Lesson learned: if you’ve got a huge platform, do your research and watch the news before you speak up about big issues.

 

What do you think about DJ Loonyo’s little statement?