DOH mulling longer quarantine period for suspected COVID-19 patients

DOH Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire at a press briefing Tuesday. Screengrab from DOH Facebook

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said it will study whether there is a need to extend the 14-day quarantine period being observed for suspected coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients.

This was after a study showed that monitoring a patient suspected of being positive for COVID-19 could exceed 14 days, DOH Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a press briefing in Malacañang.

“Meron po tayong ginagamit na batayan because in this situation right now, there are a lot of accounts that their incubation period was 9 days, incubation period of 19 days, and there was this study that was issued where they studied the different incubation periods of several patients,” Vergeire said.

Vergeire, however, noted that the 14-day quarantine is still valid as of this time, citing the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control in the United States.

Meanwhile, Vergeire gave assurance that the DOH remains in contact with Filipinos who were quarantined at New Clark City and discharged after the mandatory 14-day incubation period.

“But in the meantime, what we advise our patients or our persons under monitoring, especially those being discharged from hospitals, that we still would monitor them, one month na magfollow up,” she said.

“Like those repatriates coming from New Clark City, those Wuhan repatriates, they were advised that our regional offices through our local governments would still be monitoring them for one month, follow up. Anybody who exhibits signs and symptoms can always call the hotline, also we have their numbers, we will be texting or calling them for follow-up,” she added.

Edited by EDV