Dialysis patient is Medellin’s first COVID-19 case

Map of Medellin town in Cebu | GOOGLE MAPS

CEBU CITY, Philippines —  A dialysis patient from Barangay Kawit, Medellin has become the recent addition to the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the province and the first case in the second northernmost town in Cebu island.

The patient is a 59-year-old woman who last visited her home in Sitio EE, Barangay Kawit last Wednesday, June 3, 2020, after staying in Cebu City since last March 30 for her weekly dialysis session.

In a statement, Medellin Mayor Joven Modigo Jr. said the patient returned to the city for a checkup at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) on June 4, after feeling unwell and has remained admitted at the hospital since.

The patient’s test results came back positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, June 6, Mondigo said.

Mondigo said that contact tracing activities have commenced to identify the recent close contacts of the patient. The town’s Rural Health Unit will be taking swab samples from these close contacts for COVID-19 testing.

“Ang mga adunay close contact ipaubos sa mandatory home isolation ug hatagan sila ug ayuda gikan sa lungsod aron dili sila makagawas-gawas sa ilang panimalay hangtod maabot ang resulta sa Covid-19 PCR Test,” Mondigo said.

(The recent close contacts will undergo mandatory home isolation and will be given supplies by the municipal government so they will not need to go out until after the release of their COVID-19 PCR test results.)

Mondigo also appealed to his constituents to remain calm despite the development and instead, continue to observe all health protocols to prevent the spread of the infection. / dcb