By Antonio Colina IV
DAVAO CITY – Five patients who tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are now in stable condition and asymptomatic.
“Naa sa maayong kahimtang (They are in better condition). Padayon ang ilang monitoring samtang naa sa hospital (We continue to monitor them while they are in the hospital),” said Annabelle Yumang, Department of Health (DOH)-Davao regional director, in a press conference on Wednesday.
The agency confirmed last Monday three new COVID-19 cases in the region, which brings to six the total number of cases here. Of this total, the 21-year old from Pantukan, Davao de Oro, who was the first COVID-19 patient identified as PH130, was discharged on March 23.
One of the three new cases, a 50-year old male patient, identified as PH444 who has travel history to Manila, Palawan, and Cebu, is confined at the Davao Regional Medical Center (DRMC) in Tagum City.
The other two patients, 28-year old and 32-year old male patients, identified as PH442 and PH443, respectively, are confined at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Manila. Both have travel history to Manila.
The region’s second and third COVID-19 cases, identified as PH262 and PH263 were reported on March 21. They were transferred the next day from “strict home quarantine” to an isolation facility in Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC).
Dr. Cleo Fe Tabada, head of the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit of the DOH-Davao, said the agency has already commenced the “contact tracing” for individuals who came in close contact with the six COVID-19 patients.
As of March 25, the DOH-Davao reported 71 persons under investigation (PUIs) confined in SPMC and DRMC and 61 discharged patients. It also listed a total of 6,771 persons under monitoring (PUMs) and cleared 3,589.