ILOILO City – Two more overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) yesterday, bringing to 38 the number of Western Visayas’ repatriates with the illness. This also raised to 117 the total number of cases in the region.
The two repatriated OFWs were a 38-year-old male from Bacolod City (Patient No. 116) and a 33-year-old female from Janiuay, Iloilo (Patient No. 117).
Both were asymptomatic and currently undergoing quarantine, according to Dr. Jessie Glen Alonsabe, epidemiologist of the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6.
Patient No. 116 worked at a cruise ship in the United States. On April 4 he disembarked from the ship in Miami, Florida and was admitted at a community hospital there. He had fever. His test there confirmed he had COVID-19.
On April 20 he was tested again. This time he was COVID-negative already so he was allowed to return to the Philippines on May 1.
Right upon arrival in Metro Manila, he was tested again. He was COVID-negative.
On May 10 while still stranded in the nation’s capital, he was tested again. He got another negative result.
On May 18 he was allowed to return to Bacolod City via a ship that transported stranded Western Visayan OFWs back to the region.
After eight days, on May 26, he was tested again. This time he turned positive again for COVID-19.
On the other hand, Patient No. 117, a factory worker, returned to the Philippines from Taiwan on May 19.
She flew back to Iloilo on May 28 via a sweeper flight from Metro Manila. She was tested positive for COVID-19 here.
Here’s the breakdown of the 38 COVID-19-positive OFWs:
* Aklan – two
* Antique – four
* Guimaras – three
* Iloilo province – six
* Negros Occidental – seven
* Bacolod City – five
* Iloilo City – 11
As to the region’s total 177 cases (10 already recovered while 10 died), they were from Aklan (six), Antique (14), Capiz (six), Guimaras (zero), Iloilo province (21), Negros Occidental (three), Bacolod City (10), Iloilo City (19), and repatriates (38).
Alonsabe urged the public to continue observing physical distancing, hand-washing and the wearing of facemask to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China in December 2019.
The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales.
These droplets also land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough.
2 OFWs positive for COVID-19Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don’t feel unwell./PN
