BACOLOD CITY - A female government employee here succumbed to pneumonia brought about by coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Thursday, August 6.
The 48-year-old patient initially experienced occasional cough, and consulted a private doctor on July 27 and went on home quarantine.
She was swabbed on July 30 with other personnel in her department because of possible exposure to a co-employee who became COVID-19 positive.
However, on August 1, she started experiencing difficulty in breathing, and was brought to a hospital the following day.
She had informed her officemates before that she was asthmatic and had an enlarged heart.
Her reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results taken on July 30 came back positive, and was released six days later, a few hours after she expired.
Those who have come in close contact with her have also been swabbed.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia said that the victim was a valuable member of the team at her office.
“It is sad to lose her. We truly appreciate her service at the city government,” Leonardia said, as he condoled with the victim’s family.
Following the recent case, Leonardia stressed that people should not take health protocols for granted.
“We should look at ourselves and each other as possible COVID-positives and take precautions accordingly,” the mayor said.
While government should lead the way, Leonardia noted that it should still be a personal responsibility for everyone to observe health protocols and that this will truly make the difference in the fight against COVID-19.
“Let us continue to pray for one another’s protection, and for a successful anti-COVID fight that should be everyone’s duty,” he added.
Meanwhile, Bacolod has a total of 332 COVID-19 cases, with 254 active cases and 70 recovered cases, as of August 5.