ILOILO – Residents of this province who are visiting or are working in Iloilo City should practice reverse isolation upon returning home, according to Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.
“It’s like subjecting yourself to home quarantine. Minimize your contact with family members because you’ve been to an area where there is a high rate of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission,” said the governor.
Defensor particularly voiced his concern over residents visiting for several days relatives confined in Iloilo City hospitals and those working in the city such as call center agents and salespersons, among others.
“At home, they should have eating utensils for their exclusive use. They should keep a safe distance from family members and wear facemask,” said Defensor.
COVID-19 transmission in Iloilo City, he said, appeared to be more pronounced in workplaces and hospitals.
“Halimbawa nagbantay ka sa ospital, kabigon mo nga daw COVID-positive kaugalingon mo. Antandan mo pamilya mo kag palibot mo,” said Defensor.
As of yesterday, Iloilo City’s COVID-19 cases stood at 2,264 with 54 deaths.
But with 1,162 cases having recovered, Iloilo City is left with 1,048 active COVID-19 cases, data from the Department of Health Region 6 showed.
On the other and, Iloilo province’s COVID-19 cases stood at 826 with 36 deaths.
With 572 cases having recovered, the province is left with 218 active COVID-19 cases.
Defensor’s call for reverse isolation was a reiteration of such practice he included in the previously issued Executive Order (EO) No. 183 (“An Order Implementing the Plan Rehabilitation and Transformation of the Province of Iloilo to Catalyze Recovery or PLAN RT-PCR in a Regime of Modified General Community Quarantine until Aug. 31, 2020 Towards a New Normal).
Section 5 of the EO partly read: “Reverse isolation shall be adopted as a frontline strategy in COVID-19 response. (It) is the isolation of persons more vulnerable to the severity (PVS) of COVID-19 such as those who are 60 years old and older, pregnant women and those with immunodeficiency, comorbidities, or other health risks.”
It listed the following reverse isolation measures:
* PVS are encouraged to stay at home and discouraged from attending public gatherings.
* Minimum public health standards shall be strictly observed in households with resident PVS.
* PVS shall wear facemask at all times in the confines of the household.
* PVS shall have separate utensils for meals.
* PVS shall take their meals separate from other members of the household.
* Households with resident PVS are discouraged from receiving guests.
The household with resident PVS should meet the following requirements:
* line for communication with family and health worker, electricity, potable water, and cooking facility
* separate bedroom, toilet and bath for PVS; if there is no separate toilet and bath, cleaning and disinfecting shall be performed every after use
* proper solid waste and sewage management
* a member of the household shall be assigned as primary caregiver and shall be trained by the Rural Health Unit for proper care
* availability of medications for pre-existing conditions, and other essential medicines
* digital thermometer, preferably one per patient, disinfected before and after use
* availability of needed personal protective equipment such as facemask and face shield, hygiene products, and laundry and household cleaning products.
COVID-19 is spread mainly through close contact from person-to-person. Some people without symptoms may be able to spread the virus.
Transmission is possible between people who are in close contact with one another (within about six feet, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention of the United States) and through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks.
These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness.
Symptoms may appear two to 14 days after exposure to the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These are fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea./PN
