Thirty-four healthcare workers recently died while working on the frontlines to end the threat of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country, the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed Monday.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire also announced nine health workers were suffering from a severe condition of COVID-19 infection.
As of this writing, a total of 1,772 health workers have been infected with the infection.
“Nitong mga nakaraang araw ay paunti na nang paunti ang nakikita nating mga healthcare workers na nagpopositibo,” Vergeire said.
Out of 1,772 positive cases, 319 have successfully recovered, 452 were asymptomatic while 958 manifested mild symptoms.
To help lessen the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), DOH stated that some PPEs, such as goggles and face shields, could be reused once washed and disinfected properly.
Other protective gear, on the other hand, such as surgical masks, gloves, and respirators are required to be disposed of right after use.
According to data from the DOH, 1 out 5 or almost 20 percent of COVID-19 cases in the country were healthcare frontliners. (RJ Espartinez)