A 43-year-old Filipina who arrived from Hong Kong last February 17 is currently confined after showing symptoms of the deadly 2019 coronavirus respiratory disease (COVID-19).
Department of Health (DOH) Region 8 (Eastern Visayas) assistant director Exuperia Sabalberino said the Filipina was home-quarantined for three days and manifested cough and sore throat on February 19.
She was immediately admitted to a referral hospital for isolation and observation.
“We would like to commend the support of the patient under investigation (PUI) and PUM [person under monitoring] for being cooperative with the DOH in strictly following the protocols,” she added.
16 of the 18 PUIs have already been discharged after testing negative for the virus. The remaining two are being confined in a referral hospital.
Local government units and other concerned agencies pledged their full support to intensify their surveillance, assuring that all necessary technical assistance would be provided to them.
Communication and information dissemination through lectures in government offices, schools, and establishments were also strengthened by the health department.
“We are doing this for them to have a better understanding of the Covid-19 in order to avoid confusion, misinformation, and panic among the people,” said John Paul Roca, DOH-8 regional information officer. (RJ Espartinez)