Davao del Sur: The province of Davao del Sur has registered ten confirmed COVID-19 cases in just a span of one week, and nearly two months after the first two cases have been recorded.
Of the cases recorded for the period May 26-29, 2020 in the province, eight patients are frontline personnel of the Davao del Sur Provincial Hospital (DSPH) and all are residents of Digos City.
The other two cases are from the municipalities of Sulop and Hagonoy.
The COVID-19 case in the provincial hospital was first found out when a 29-year old male staff of the laboratory department tested positive in the Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) conducted on May 22, 2020 on the laboratory personnel.
The said patient was confirmed COVID-19 positive through the RT-PCR test, and he was recorded as the second confirmed case in Digos City on May 26, since the first case was reported on March 30.
On Friday evening (May 29), City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) head Dr. Ronald Jumilla of Digos City, reported that another seven of DSPH employees tested positive of COVID-19.
Earlier, Jumilla said that rapid testing was also done on DSPH workers from the other departments immediately after the first positive case in the provincial hospital was found out, and swab testing were conducted for those RDT-positive.
In a radio interview over Charm Radio aired live on Facebook today, Provincial Health Office chief Dr. Jonna Masongsong bared that all eight positive patients are asymptomatic, in stable condition and have not manifested any symptom so far.
Masongsong said that three of the patients are currently admitted at DSPH, which includes the previously confirmed patient, while the other five patients are on home quarantine.
She assured that the home-quarantined patients are strictly observing the protocols such as having their own room, having their own comfort room as much as possible, eating in their room, and observing physical distancing.
Their respective Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) is also monitoring on their condition twice a day, Masongsong added.
From the Department of Health Region XI (DOH-XI) profiles of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Digos City as of May 29, there are three male patients aged 62, 52 and 46, while there are four female patients aged 49, 62, 53, and 47.
Masongsong disclosed that they are awaiting the swab test results of five other DSPH employees who are considered suspect COVID-19 cases.
Meanwhile, the local government of Sulop reported that its first confirmed COVID-19 case is a 27-year old male patient, who is a delivery helper of an essential food cargo with a Digos-Davao Occidental Route.
On the LGU’s Facebook post, it detailed that the patient was identified as asymptomatic, and he is currently isolated at the Barangay Isolation Unit. The LGU has right away started the contact tracing.
It further reported that the patient tested negative on the Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) done on May 23. However, he was required to undergo the RT-PCR test, after his driver companion tested positive on the RDT.
The RT-PCR test, which was released on May 29, revealed that the Sulop patient is COVID-19 positive.
The LGU of Sulop advised the public not to panic and to follow the basic and minimum health protocols to avoid spread of the virus.
The first confirmed case in Hagonoy is a ten-year old female patient who is currently admitted at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City.
According to the DOH-XI report, the onset of symptoms of the child patient was recorded on May 26.
Masongsong further assured said that the Municipal Health Offices of Sulop and Hagonoy have immediately started contact tracing, and that Digos City Health Office is also continuing the contact tracing and investigation.
She urged the public not to panic, and to always observe the precautionary protocols such as hygiene and sanitation, physical distancing, wearing of face masks, and to stay at home at all times unless if necessary to go out. (PIA-XI/Carina L. Cayon)