ILOILO City – Four more overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who recently returned to Western Visayas tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
This brought to 27 the number of repatriated Ilonggo overseas workers who have the virus, and to 97 the region-wide COVID-19 cases, according to the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 yesterday.
The four OFWs – and the 23 positive others – were part of the over 260 Western Visayan overseas workers who returned to the region on April 9, 28 and 29. They were the following:
* 50-year-old male from Molo, Iloilo City (Patient No. 94)
* 30-year-old male from La Paz, Iloilo City (Patient No. 95)
* 23-year-old male from City Proper, Iloilo City (Patient No. 96)
* 45-year-old male from Talisay City, Negros Occidental (Patient No. 97)
These four OFWs are currently in isolation at quarantine facilities in this city and Negros Occidental.
On the other hand, the test results of the most recent (May 9) batch of repatriated Ilonggo overseas workers were yet to be released.
Dr. Ma. Sophia Pulmones, chief of DOH-6’s Local Health Support Division, said majority of the region’s COVID-19 patients were asymptomatic or not showing signs and symptoms of the disease.
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.
“Of the 97 confirmed cases, 57 were asymptomatic or 59 percent of the total,” said Pulmones.
Twenty-five cases (26 percent) have severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) while 15 cases (15 percent) showed mild cases of infection, added Pulmones.
In Case Bulletin No. 46 released yesterday, DOH-6 further disclosed that 14 of the cases were in hospitals, five on home quarantine while 30 were in quarantine centers of local government units.
Also, according to DOH-6, 38 patients have recovered while 10 died.
Here’s the breakdown of the 97 cases as of May 11:
* Aklan – six
* Antique – 14
* Capiz – five
* Guimaras – zero
* Iloilo province – 18
* Negros Occidental – two
* Bacolod City – nine
* Iloilo City – 16
* repatriates – 27 (Aklan, one; Antique, three; Guimaras, two; Iloilo province, four; Negros Occidental, five; Bacolod City, two, and Iloilo City, 10)
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./PN
