ILOILO City – From seven, the number of Arevalo district residents who tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rose to eight.
Another case in the district was confirmed yesterday by the Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 – a 39-year-old female now in isolation at the city government’s quarantine facility.
In Bulletin No. 45, DOH tagged this case as Western Visayas’ Patient No. 93 – the sole positive case recorded on May 10.
Patient No. 93 had closed contact with 43- year-old female Patient No. 78 who was a resident of Barangay Sto. Niño Sur, Arevalo, according to DOH-6.
The regional health office, however, was yet to make a determination as of this writing if Patient No. 93 was also a resident of Barangay Sto. Niño Sur which had six confirmed COVID-9 cases.
These six cases – currently at the city’s quarantine facility – were the following:
* 46-year-old male (Patient No. 88)
* 55-year-old female (Patient No. 73)
* 43- year-old female (Patient No. 78)
* 57-year-old female (Patient No. 79)
* 48-year-old female (Patient No. 80)
* 48-year-old male (Patient No. 66)
The other Arevalo COVID-19 case was a 33-year-old male (Patient No. 85) resident of Barangay Quezon. He was confined at a private hospital.
The six cases in Barangay Sto. Niño Sur prompted Mayor Jerry Treñas to place the village under three days of “extreme enhanced community quarantine” last week (May 6 to 8) until all the close contacts of these cases were traced and tested.
During the barangay lockdown, no residents were allowed to leave their homes; offices and businesses were closed; and transportation (private and public) was suspended.
Region-wide as of yesterday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases stood at 93 with 10 deaths, said Dr. May Ann Soliva-Sta. Lucia, head of DOH-6’s Health Promotion division.
Here’s the breakdown of cases: Aklan, six; Antique, 14; Capiz, five; Guimaras, zero; Iloilo province, 18; Negros Occidental, two; Bacolod City, nine; Iloilo City, 16; repatriates, 23.
DOH-6 also reported that of the 93 cases, 14 were in hospitals; five on home quarantine; and 26 isolated at quarantine facilities.
Thirty-eight patients also recovered, DOH-6 added.
COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China in December 2019.
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.
Most people (about 80 percent) recover from the disease without needing special treatment, according to the World Health Organization.
Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness.
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
