ILOILO City – There are now 45 confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Western Visayas.
The Western Visayas Medical Center sub-national laboratory has released the results of the tests it conducted on 140 specimens from suspected and probable cases; 137 were negative for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-9.
The three persons who tested positive for the virus were all from Caluya, Antique, according to the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 in COVID-19 Case Bulletin No. 22 released on Friday.
Of the 45 confirmed cases, 13 were confined in hospitals while 14 were on home quarantine. Three others were on “facility-based” quarantine (identified by their respective local government units).
Eight of the 45 confirmed cases have already successfully recovered, according to DOH-6, while seven died.
The latest to recover (just yesterday, April 17) from COVID-19 was a resident of Guimbal – a 51-year-old female (the region’s Patient No. 18).
The COVID-19 cases per area were as follows:
* Aklan – six
* Antique – five
* Bacolod City – seven
* Capiz – five
* Iloilo City – five
* Iloilo province – 16
* Negros Occidental – one
The island province of Guimaras remains free from the COVID-19.
Dr. Ma. Sophia Pulmones, head of DOH-6’s Local Health Support Division, reminded Western Visayans to observe quarantine, and that meant not leaving the house to curb the virus transmission.
People can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus. The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales.
These droplets also land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough.
Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don’t feel unwell.
As to the three new COVID-19 cases from Caluya, Antique, Pulmones said they were the following:
* region’s Patient No. 43 – 45-year-old-male
* region’s Patient No. 44 – 59-year-old-male
* region’s Patient No. 45 – 65-year-old male
All three of them were asymptomatic and being isolated at a hospital in Semirara Island, Caluya.
They were natives of Cebu City but working at the Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC) in Semirara Island.
They had close contact with Antique’s first confirmed case of COVID-19 – a 74-year-old male who became the region’s Patient No. 35 and also connected with SMPC, said Pulmones.
Patient No. 35 is also confined at the hospital in Semirara./PN
