DAVAO CITY – The City Health Office here reported that 3% of the total number of swabbed individuals in a public market were positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“When we had the surveillance swabbing at Agdao Public Market, we swabbed 468 people of which 3% turned out positive,” Dr. Ashley Lopez, CHO acting head and COVID-19 Task Force Focal Person said in a statement Monday, April 12. The swabbing was conducted last Wednesday (April 7).
The health official said they are still awaiting the results of the surveillance swabbing in some establishments in Uyanguren in downtown area and in the Calinan public market.
Lopez said the conduct of surveillance swabbing will help the local government to stop the rising of COVID-19 cases.
“In a time when another opportunity comes when we are going to have another surge, it will not be difficult for us to track down and control. The most effective strategy when you’re going to map out all remaining cases is to do surveillance,” he said.
“Majority, 70 to 80 percent of cases are asymptomatic. That means there are asymptomatic carriers that are roaming around. There are people somewhere who do not have symptoms while some have a simple cough, colds who refuse to have themselves checked, and later on, we know that they are carriers. These are the persons that we are trying to catch,” he said.
Lopez also urged the public to cooperate with the local government in the conduct of the surveillance activities.