Negrense Zubiri negative for COVID in confirmatory test

MANILA – Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri announced Tuesday his confirmatory test for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) came out negative.
“I AM NEGATIVE…My confirmatory test with the Philippine Red Cross showed that I no longer have live RNA cells of [COVID-19],” the Negrense senator said.
Zubiri was not able to attend President Rodrigo Duterte’s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday after the Negrense yielded a positive result for the virus.
Swab testing was a requirement for those who wanted to physically attend the President’s SONA at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.

“What the Infectious Disease experts have told us is that the Department of Health’s result yesterday possibly detected remnants of dead virus cells which is a common occurrence with recovered patients,” Zubiri said.
“Studies from Europe, Asia and the US have shown that recovered patients with antibodies are no longer infectious if COVID-19 cells are discovered in their system,” he added.

Zubiri took three rapid tests and two swab tests in less than 24 hours before he was declared negative for COVID-19. He opted to remain under isolation for about two weeks.

“Just to be sure and safe, I will still continue my quarantine for the prescribed period,” Zubiri said./PN