Optimal Allocation of COVID-19 Test Kits Among Accredited Testing Centers in the Philippines

Christian Alvin H Buhat; Jessa Camille C Duero; Edd Francis O Felix; Jomar Fajardo Rabajante; Jonathan B Mamplata

In this paper, we use a Non-Linear Programming (NLP) model on designing equitable resource allocation on resourceconstrained countries to address this issue. The mathematical model includes heterogeneity in testing accessibility, and the data are population-density based. The equity objective function of the model provides an equal assessment of the distribution of the limited test kits among the testing centers. We apply the model to the population density-adjusted number of COVID-19 infected individuals projection in the Philippines. We let the basic reproduction number (average number of direct secondary cases generated from a contagious person in a fully susceptible community) of COVID-19 in the country to be R 0 = 2.5 to estimate the infected number of individuals that should be tested [4, 11] . We also consider the density-based population of each municipalities in the country as well as the current testing centers accredited by the DOH.