ILOILO City – Social distancing and wearing of facemask at home may seem extreme but they may be necessary now.
As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rages in this southern city, a pattern is emerging: it seems to spread more easily among people living under the same roof.
Yesterday, it was announced that a patient in his 30s had been diagnosed with COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2.
It’s unclear how the man, a resident of Jaro district, caught the virus. But within days, six new cases directly connected to him had been diagnosed.
“In a family with a COVID-19 positive case, expect other household members to subsequently test positive for the disease, too,” said city government COVID-19 Team spokesperson Jeck Conlu.
Key in stopping, or at least slowing down, the spread of coronavirus is to practice the minimum health standards even at home, according to Conlu.
“This seems ridiculous but is in fact essential to protect household members,” he explained.
COVID-19 spreads 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
This is why health officials, according to Conlu, are insistent that people cover their noses and mouths when coughing or sneezing.
“Our COVID-19 cases are rising because at home people tend to lower their guard. We must be cautious at home just as we are cautious when we are outside,” he stressed.
For his part, Dr. Roland Jay Fortuna of the City Health Office pushed for early medical consultation at health centers if people do not feel well.
“Delaying this could result to complications and higher mortality rate,” said Fortuna, also the focal person of the city government for COVID-19./PN
