BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The chief pathologist of the Department of Health (DOH) Central Visayas warned both the local government units (LGUs) of this city and Negros Occidental to closely monitor their current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) positivity rate, one of several metrics used to track the virus SARS-CoV-2.
Dr. Mary Jean Loreche cited initial reports from last week’s mass testing here and in the province.
According to Loreche, 212 out of 1,598 individuals were found infected with the viral illness, placing the positivity rate at 13.3 percent.
The COVID-19 test positivity rate is the fraction of tests that come back positive. It is calculated by dividing the number of positive tests by the total number of tests. Generally, a lower test positivity rate is good.
To recall, the Negros Occidental and Bacolod City LGUs united to hold a “Timeout Weekend” from Aug. 28 to 31 to arrest the local spread of COVID-19 by mass testing 10,000 individuals, 5,000 in Bacolod City and 5,000 in Negros Occidental, with flu-like symptoms and close contacts of positive patients.
Loreche advised local authorities to not solely focus at the number of COVID-19 positive cases as a basis if it is already alarming or in a dangerous level.
“They also have to look at the capacity of the health care facilities in giving proper care to COVID-19 patients,” she said.
The pathologist disclosed that she received information that only around 161 beds have been allocated for COVID-19 patients in hospitals in the city.
She said a meeting had already taken place between them, the hospital directors and several doctors. She said DOH is now waiting for additional data such as hospital bed allocation and critical care capabilities.
“We are also looking at the capacity of health care workers in taking care of their patients in order to determine the current situation,” Loreche added.
The molecular laboratories in Negros Occidental are also being checked to see if there are ways to expedite their testing capacity and turnaround times.
Based on Sept. data of the DOH-6, Bacolod City recorded 237 new cases, with 84 new recoveries, and one new fatality.
Negros Occidental, meanwhile, showed 48 new cases with 39 new recoveries./PN
