Covid-19 cases in PH rise to 52: DOH

The DOH asked the public to cooperate and help in its investigation and contact tracing activities. (File Photo by CDC/Unsplash)

MANILA – The country’s confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients have increased to 52, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Thursday – as government health authorities urged the public to cooperate and help in its continuous contact tracing efforts.

Patient No. 50 is a 69-year-old female and is confined at the Medical City while Patient No. 51 is a 26-year-old male currently being treated at the Makati Medical Center, both of whom had no travel history outside the country, the DOH said on its updated data sheet released to the media.

Covid-19 Patient No. 52, on the other hand, is a 79-year-old female and is known to have previously traveled to the United Kingdom. The three new Covid-19 cases are all Filipinos, it added.

The DOH asked the public to cooperate and help in its investigation and contact tracing activities. Persons with a history of known exposure to a positive patient or have traveled to areas with local transmission and are showing mild symptoms are advised to self-isolate and be home quarantined for 14 days.

“Those presenting severe and critical symptoms need to be immediately admitted to health facilities. Let us be responsible for our own health, the family’s well being, and that of our community,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said.

Meanwhile, the agency confirmed the death of Patient No. 35, the 67-year-old wife of Patient No. 34.

The DOH said she had existing medical conditions — hypertension, and diabetes.

Patient No. 35 tested positive on March 11 and on the afternoon of the same day, she passed away due to severe pneumonia.

“Our recent mortality has underlying medical conditions, making the patient extremely vulnerable to Covid-19. So we reiterate that the best way to protect yourself from the disease is to keep yourself healthy and practice general preventive measures: proper hand-washing, cough etiquette, and social distancing,” Duque said.

DOH said elderly people at an average of 66 years and those with underlying medical conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, chronic lung disease, and immunosuppression are vulnerable to the disease.

Duque also reminded the public, particularly those who are immunocompromised or those with the weakened immune system, as well as those with existing health conditions, to be more vigilant and avoid crowded areas and mass gatherings.