DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental — The female patient under investigation (PUI), who succumbed to Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) on Tuesday, March 24, 2020, was found positive of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
This was the result of the swab test result that arrived this afternoon, March 26, 2020, from the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC).
The PUI is the sister-in-law of PH39 or patient No. 39, a councilor from Tayasan, a COVID-19 positive patient, who died on March 15, 2020.
Read more: NegOr closes borders after death of PUI
On the other hand, the husband of the PUI and brother of PH39 is negative of the dreaded disease.
However, according to the report from the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO), a second swab test will be done on the husband to confirm the results of the first test.
Meanwhile, the 40-year-old female with SARI, who died on Wednesday (March 25, 2020) at the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital is also negative of the coronavirus.
The swab test results of the other female PUI, 59, who also succumbed to SARI that day, have yet to arrive.
Read more: Two female PUIs die in Dumaguete hospital
There are now two confirmed COVID-19 cases in the province where both patients died, two negative and one still waiting for the result.
Meanwhile, an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) from Dubai was fetched by an ambulance in his residence in Barangay Bagacay this city and brought to an undisclosed hospital here after manifesting flu-like symptoms.
Barangay Captain Vincent Periqua told CDN Digital in an interview the OFW arrived last Tuesday, March 24, 2020 via Cebu.
However, yesterday morning, March 25, 2020, Periqua said the wife who is a nurse called him up asking for help because the husband had fever, sore throat, cough and diarrhea.
This morning Periqua said he reported the matter to the City Health Officer, Dr. Maria Sarah Talla and together with the barangay health worker went to the residence of the OFW.
“Unsay sulti sa health worker? Gihilantan, sore throat ug diarrhea. Wala pud dad-a sa ospital,” Periqua said.
(What did the health worker say? He had fever, sore throat and diarrhea. They also did not bring him to the hospital.)
This afternoon, the house of the OFW was cordoned by the police and barangay tanod.
“Kami diri sa barangay nahadlok mi. Amo gigwardyahan kay basin mogawas ug asa ni mopaingon,”.
(We at the barangay we are scared. We guard them because we are concerned that they might leave the house.)
The wife tried to leave the house to go to the bank on board their vehicle. However, she was prevented by the police and tanods since she’s under the mandatory 14 days quarantine.
With her in the house is their 10- year old daughter./dbs