BREAKING: ‘Presumptive positive’ cases in Central Visayas rise to 16; Cebu City now has 12

This undated electron microscope image made available by the U.S. National Institutes of Health in February 2020 shows the Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus causes COVID-19. The sample was isolated from a patient in the U.S. Dozens of research groups around the world are racing to create a vaccine as COVID-19 cases continue to grow. (NIAID-RML via AP)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH – 7) has recorded a total of 16 presumptive positive cases in the region, data from its latest situation report on Thursday, March 26, 2020 show.

This means seven additional specimens taken from patients suspected of having COVID-19 in Central Visayas were delivered to the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM).

On Wednesday, March 25, 2020, the DOH-7 reported a total of nine samples in the region that were sent to RITM for further confirmation. Seven of these came from Cebu City, and one each from Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City.

Additional

With 12, Cebu City has the most number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) samples tagged as ‘presumptive positive’. The city previously had seven presumptive positive cases.

Of the new presumptive positive cases, five are from Cebu City while one from Cebu province, one in Negros Oriental.

‘Presumptive positive’ is the term used to describe COVID-19 tests conducted locally that yielded positive of the virus but are awaiting further confirmation from RITM.

The Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) has started doing COVID-19 tests since March 19, 2020 but since they are still in the starting stages, hospital administrators and officials from DOH-7 has told the public they still need to send some of the samples to RITM for further confirmation and clarification./dbs