DOH-7: No need to wait if presumptive positive cases are absolute positive

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Whether or not the 16 “presumptive positive” patients in Central Visayas are really positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is no longer of high priority, the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) said on Thursday, March 26, 2020.

Dr. Jaime Bernadas, regional director of DOH-7, said their agency already conducted the necessary containment measures such as contact tracing and isolation for these patients as if they were already “absolutely positive.”

On Thursday, March 26, the DOH-7 reported seven new presumptive positive cases for COVID-19 in the region. This is on top of the nine patients announced on Wednesday, March 25, bringing the toll of presumptive positive cases to 16.

The 16 cases consist of 12 from Cebu City, and one each from the cities of Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue and the provinces of Cebu and Negros Oriental.

The presumptive positive cases are still due for a confirmatory test at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Metro Manila.

The first three presumptive positive cases in the region, which was tested at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), were already sent to RITM. However, no confirmatory result has returned yet.

“Wala pa [The confirmatory results have not arrived yet]. Dili na ko interesado. Ang atong angay buhaton, ato na mang gibuhat so why wait for it?” Bernadas said.

Aside from the 16 presumptive positive cases, Cebu has one confirmed case for COVID-19 who is still admitted to a private hospital in Mandaue City.

Bernadas earlier said that the patient is already well and is just waiting for the result of his repeat test before he will be discharged.

A patient positive for COVID-19 needs to render two negative results for COVID-19 before he would be discharged.

At present, the Philippines already has 707 positive cases for COVID-19 as of 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 26. /rcg