DOH-7: COVID-19 inmate from Cebu City has TB

Cebu City map | via Google Maps

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The 41-year-old inmate from Cebu City Jail who died due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had preexisting health conditions, the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH – 7) said.

The DOH-7 told reporters in a teleconference meeting on Monday, April 20, 2020, that the sixth patient who succumbed to the coronavirus in Cebu City had tuberculosis (TB), which is also a respiratory disease.

Patients with co-morbodities are considered vulnerable to COVID-19 infection.

They also confirmed findings from the Cebu City Health Department (CHD) that an additional COVID-19 case was logged in the city on Monday, bringing its total to 166.

“The additional confirmed case has not changed the case fatality rate or the percentage of deaths among those who are infected with COVID-19 at 4.7 percent. It is still lower compared to the global average of 6.4 percent,” said the DOH – 7.

This development brings the total number of COVID-19 cases in Central Visayas to 191. Of these figure, Cebu City accounts for around 86.9 percent.

“149 test results came out from the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center on Monday, of which one result is positive. This brings the total confirmed cases in the region to 191,” the DOH-7 said.

The VSMMC, which has the capacity to do approximately 240 COVID-19 tests per day, has examined a total of 2,892 samples from Central Visayas.

The state-run hospital is among the 17 health facilities qualified to do coronavirus tests.

In a press release, Dr. Jaime Bernadas, DOH – 7 director, encouraged the public to maximize technology to stay connected with loved ones and updates while practicing physical or social distancing.

“We would also like to ask the public for patience and understanding as we undergo various levels of isolation. Let us use technology to connect with each other so that even when we are apart physically, we are not alone in this fight,” Bernadas said./dbs