MANILA, Philippines — The 67-year-old Filipina who died on Wednesday, the same day she tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), had hypertension and diabetes mellitus prior to contracting the virus, the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed on Thursday.
The woman, considered the 35th patient in the country to test positive for the disease, or PH35, passed away at around noon Wednesday at the Manila Doctors’ Hospital due to severe pneumonia and was recorded as the second fatality in the country due to the disease.
She contracted the virus through local transmission as she did not have a record of recent travel outside the country, according to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. She is also the first Filipino fatality due to COVID-19.
“Our recent mortality has underlying medical conditions, making the patient extremely vulnerable to COVID-19. So we reiterate that the best way to protect yourself from the disease is to keep yourself healthy and practice general preventive measures: proper hand-washing, cough etiquette, and social distancing,” Duque III said in a statement.
The woman’s husband, a 72-year-old Filipino man who also tested positive for the virus, is admitted at the same Manila hospital as PH34.
The first fatality in the country due to COVID-19 was a 44-year-old Chinese man from China’s Wuhan City, the epicenter of the outbreak, who died on February 1 at the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila.
The DOH noted that available data show that elderly people with an average of 66 years old and those with underlying medical conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, chronic lung disease, and immunosuppression are vulnerable to the disease.
“We further urge those who are immunocompromised and are with existing health conditions to be more vigilant and avoid crowded areas and mass gatherings,” said Duque.