Camiguin patient learns she has coronavirus a day after completing quarantine period

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines (UPDATED) – The Camiguin provincial government learned the island had its first coronavirus case a day after the patient completed her mandatory 14-day quarantine and had “moved around”, authorities said.

The patient’s test result was received on Saturday, April 4. That same day, Governor Jurdin Jesus Romualdo went on Facebook Live to inform the people of the first COVID-19 case in the province.

The patient completed her quarantine on Friday, April 3. She had been able to move around and so the provincial health office is now conducting contact tracing, the governor said.

The patient was tested 3 times, with the 2^nd and 3^rd results arriving only hours apart on Saturday, Romualdo said.

Romualdo said that the patient did not show any symptoms of COVID-19.

Dr Ian Gonzales, cluster head, infectious disease and regional epidemiologist, of the Department of Health (DOH)- Region, 10 said that the patient was told to continue with her home quarantine after she tested positive for the virus.

He added that the patient continues to be asymptomatic.

“As a precautionary measures of their provincial health office, they decided to extend the quarantine period, so since she was PUl (patient under investigation)-mild, she doesn’t need to be admitted to the hospital. She was managed at home, under home isolation closely monitored daily by their barangay health emergency response team and their municipal health office,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales also said that the governor was correct when he said that the patient was asymptomatic. “But during the time that the DOH (Department of Health) decided to do the test, the patient had mild symptoms,” Gonzales said.

Moreover, the patient is asthmatic and had comorbidity which was why she qualified for coronavirus testing, the doctor added.

A statement from the DOH Center for Health Development in Northern Mindanao said that the patient started her initial quarantine on March14 and experienced “mild symptoms of colds and sore throat” 3 days later. A swab was taken from her and sent to the laboratory for testing.

The patient is a 33-year-old government employee from Mahinog town.

Romualdo said she went to Manila with two other colleagues to attend a seminar.

One of the resource speakers, with whom the patient had a direct interaction, tested positive for COVID-19, Romualdo said.

“The 3 of them who were in the seminar were immediately put in quarantine the moment they landed in Camiguin,” the governor added.

The two others did not have coronavirus.

Romualdo reiterated his call for residents of the island to remain at home.

“We must take all precautions to prevent the spread of the virus. The government is doing all it can to stop it. Help us by staying at home,” Romualdo said.

Romualdo also signed Executive Order No. 16 requiring everyone in Camiguin to use face masks “at all times” whenever they have to go to public places.

The directive took effect on Monday, April 6.

 

As of 1pm of Sunday, April 5, the DOH- Northern Mindanao has 6 COVID-19 cases and 326 patients under investigation (PUIs). Of these PUIs, 52 are in a medical facilty and 40 are on home quarantine; another 40 have been discharged from the hospital and 186 have been cleared after completing their quarantine period.

It also said that there are 4,459 persons under monitoring (PUMs). Of the number, 50 are on a 2-week home quarantine, while 4, 409 have completed their quarantine period. – Rappler.com

(Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story quoted Gov Romualdo as saying that the patient was confined at the Camiguin General Hospital. She was not confined but on home quarantine. Doctors gave her clearance to go out after she completed her quarantine prior to learning that she was coronavirus positive. The story also contains a clarification from Dr Gonzales who said that the patient was asymptomatic. The headline and subhead of the story have been updated to reflect these corrections.)