No increase in Covid-19 deaths amid surge in cases: DOH

MANILA – The mortality curve of reported deaths nationwide due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) continues to go down, a health expert said on Wednesday.

“Ngayong buwan ng Marso, hindi pa tayo nakakakita ng pagtaas ng deaths, nakaka-10 deaths po tayo (This month of March, we haven’t seen an increase in deaths, we have deaths [average of 10 per day], that is one of the lowest since the start of the pandemic,” said Dr. Alethea de Guzman, Department of Health (DOH) Epidemiology Bureau director during an online media forum.

Based on the latest DOH data, the highest average death per day due to Covid-19 is 67 which happened last August 2020.

“Pero binabantayan natin siya dahil sa mortality curve na ito nakita naming na kung nag-peak tayo ng first week of August, ‘yung peak ng deaths natin, nakita natin (But we’re monitoring this because we see in our mortality curve when [cases] peak by the first week of August, the deaths peak) either that same week or the following week,” de Guzman said.

Part of the government’s pandemic response efforts is to prevent deaths due to Covid-19.

Hence, it monitors the healthcare utilization rate (HCUR) of hospital beds — intensive care unit beds, isolation beds, and ward beds — reserved for moderate, severe, and critical cases.

“Regionally, lahat naka-safe zone, walang umaabot ng 60 percent, subalit nakikita natin while they are all in the safe zone, may pagtaas talaga sa paglaki ng (all are in safe zone, no region has reached 60 percent, we also see while they are all in the safe zone there is an increase in the) healthcare utilization rate,” de Guzman said.

She noted the National Capital Region’s HCUR increased by 21 percent in a week while Calabarzon increased by 19 percent.

“So, this is aligned, consistent with the increase of cases in these places. We’re monitoring each region, their increase in HCUR or ICU rate, we study how to lower it,” she said.

In connection, de Guzman stressed the importance of triage in hospitals and the referral of patients who are either asymptomatic or with mild Covid-19 symptoms to community quarantine facilities.