ILOILO City – Western Visayas has recorded nine more positive cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), bringing the total cases to 13 as of yesterday.
Three of the new cases were from Bacolod City, three from Aklan, three from Iloilo province, two from Iloilo City, and one from Capiz, data from the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 showed.
The region previously had four cases (one in Bacolod City, two in Iloilo City, one in Iloilo province, and one in Capiz).
Here’s a brief description of the new cases:
* Patient No. 5 – an 81-year-old male from Aklan with a history of travel to Manila
* Patient No. 6 – a 75-year-old male from Bacolod City with a history of travel to Manila
* Patient No. 7 – a 40-year-old male from Bacolod City with history of travel to Manila
* Patient No. 8 – a 68-year-old male from Aklan with a history of travel to Manila
* Patient No. 9 – 28-year-old male from Bacolod City (son of Patient No. 1 who is the region’s first confirmed COVID-19 case)
* Patient No. 10 – a 59-year-old female from Iloilo province with no history of travel to areas with COVID-19 cases and with no known exposure to a COVID-19-positive case
* Patient No. 11 – a 72-year-old male from Iloilo City with a history of travel to Manila; had fever and cough; died on March 19; also with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and classified as high risk for Community-Acquired Pneumonia
* Patient No. 12 – a 22-year-old female from Iloilo province with a history of travel to Manila
* Patient No. 13 – a 37-year-old male from Aklan; travel and exposure history still being verified
PUI AND PUM
As of 12 noon of March 26, DOH-6 recorded a total of 276 patients under investigation or PUIs (those showing symptoms of COVID-19).
Of the figure, 127 tested negative for COVID-19; 79 have been discharged while 95 others still in hospitals.
Meanwhile, a total of 11,124 out of 41,915 persons under monitoring or PUM (those with a history of travel to areas with COVID-19 cases) already completed their 14-day home quarantine.
As to the first four COVID-19 cases in Region 6, Patient No. 1 (a 65-year-old male from Bacolod City) is now stable and improving. The result of his repeat swab test is being waited.
Patient No. 1 (a 56-year-old male from Guimbal, Iloilo) is now stable and has been taken off ventilator.
Patient No. 3 (a 61-year-old female from Iloilo City) is now stable.
Patient No. 4 (a 45-year-old from Jamindan, Capiz) is also stable and no longer in respiratory distress.
CONTACT TRACING
DOH-6’s tracking team was able to trace a total of 17 contacts of Patient No. 1. All of them were asymptomatic.
For Patient No. 2, a total of 71 contacts were traced; all were asymptomatic. His wife, currently hospitalized but stable, tested negative for COVID-19.
For Patient No. 3, a total of nine contacts were traced and for Patient No. 4, 153 contacts were traced.
Health undersecretary Rosette Vergeire said the public should not be surprised by the sudden increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases.
These were “probably (specimen) backlogs” that were analysed only this week, she explained.
She also cited the arrival of more COVID-9 test kits; this increased the testing capability of local authorities./PN
hmmmm, testing backlogs? how about the people who where around the positive ones and who are assymtomatic? and the contacts of their contacts? I know your hands are full (doh) but where the budgets? how about using the intelligence funds of the presidents for this events now?
From data reported, it looks there is nothing to panic. We have abundant of natural antiseptics- sunlight. Let’s save our economy instead.