How did the mother of the country’s first patient with the United Kingdom (UK) variant of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) also test positive for the virus without getting in contact with her son?
The city’s Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) head, Dr. Rolly Cruz, said late Wednesday night that they are already conducting an investigation of the case.
The country’s index case, a 29-year-old Quezon City resident, “never set foot at home or in the community and did not have any interaction with her (mother) after arriving in the Philippines from Dubai on January 7,” he said.
Cruz said that CESU already took a sample from the patient’s mother’s swab test to determine if she had the same UK variant.
“Her results will be released any day now,” Cruz said.
Meanwhile, the patient’s girlfriend, who had earlier tested negative for COVID-19, was eventually found to be positive with the virus after undergoing a second swab test.
Her sample, according to Cruz, was also sent to the Philippine Genome Center to “learn whether she has the UK variant like the index case, or the regular COVID-19 virus.”
Meanwhile, seven fellow airplane passengers of the country’s index case, who are Quezon City residents, are under quarantine and awaiting their second swab test results.
The local government called on its constituents, especially those returning from abroad, to comply with the 14-day quarantine period regardless of test results to be assured of their health condition.