Mom recovers but husband, daughter test positive for coronavirus in Cagayan de Oro

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Philippine’s Patient No. 598 has recovered and tested negative for the novel coronavirus disease, but her husband and daughter just tested positive for the disease.

They were Cagayan de Oro’s two new cases. Their results arrived on Wednesday, April 8, said Jose Chan, chief of hospital at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro.

Their results are no longer be reliable, however, because they were based on samples taken almost a month ago. They both appear healthy, said Chan. 

In fact, newer samples have since been taken from the two. On Thursday, April 9, results from one of these samples already showed that the husband was negative for the disease. Another negative results is required to confirm his status. 

“We are still waiting for the new test result for the daughter,” Chan said.

Their cases underscore the challenge faced by provincial hospitals in the past weeks when dealing with persons under investigation for the disease (PUIs). Tests results have been delayed and several PUIs have died without seeing their results. 

One month delay

Patient No. 598 is a mother from Pasig City in Metro Manila, who flew into Cagayan de Oro with her family on March 14, escaping the lockdown in the country capital. Metro Manila is the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the country. 

Government reports show they also have a home in Marawi City. 

The entire family was reportedly considered persons under investigation (PUIs) for coronavirus before leaving Metro Manila. They were immediately taken from the Laguindingan Airport by personnel of Department of Health and swabbed for specimens. 

“Samples were taken from them on the same day,” said Chan. 

Her results arrived earlier. She was brought to the Polymedic Medical Plaza and was later transferred to NMMC. She had since recovered and tested negative for coronavirus. She was discharged from the hospital last week. 

“[They] were taken to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine. Maybe the samples were tested not at the same time.”

The results of her husband and daughter arrived only on April 8 but they’ve been isolated since they were swabbed.

10 cases in Northern Mindanao

The two new cases put Northern Mindanao’s total cases to 10 as of Thursday, although Patient No. 598 was previously recorded under the Bangsamoro region. 

Other than the two new cases, there are two other cases in Iligan City, two in Misamis Occidental, one in Cagayan de Oro, one in Camiguin, one in Lanao Del Norte, and case in Bukidnon.

Four of these cases were confined at the NMMC. Other than Patient No. 598’s husband and daughter, Chan said the hospital was still taking care of the female patient from Iligan City and the male patient from Tubod town in Lanao Del Norte

The two have fully recovered but were still waiting for their laboratory results to test negative. – Rappler.com