Patient being probed for COVID-19 dies in Pangasinan hospital | Inquirer News

Patient being probed for COVID-19 dies in Pangasinan hospital

By: - Correspondent / @yzsoteloINQ
/ 05:16 PM March 19, 2020

DAGUPAN CITY –– A person, who had been listed as a patient under investigation (PUI) for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) died on Wednesday afternoon at the Region I Medical Center.

Anna de Guzman, Pangasinan provincial health officer, said the 68-year-old patient came from the United States.

De Guzman said the patient died while they were waiting for the result of the laboratory test done by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).

Article continues after this advertisement

The patient’s body had been cremated as recommended by local health officials.

FEATURED STORIES

“There is a delay in the laboratory test results because of the volume of swab samples being tested at the [RITM], and we can’t wait until we receive the results before we start contact-tracing,” De Guzman said.

The test is usually completed in 48 hours, but now it takes about five to six days, she said.

Article continues after this advertisement

“If the result turns out to be positive, we will list her as the first COVID-19 case in the province. But as of now, Pangasinan is still COVID-19-free,” De Guzman said.

Article continues after this advertisement

She said the patient, who is from Rosales town, showed respiratory tract infection symptoms, like cough, colds, and fever and was brought to a private hospital in Urdaneta City.

Article continues after this advertisement

When the medical authorities learned about her travel history, they transferred her to Region I Medical Center, where she died after less than 24 hours.

De Guzman said the patient had traveled to Iloilo and Cebu before going back to Rosales, noting that they had no records that would immediately show the date when the patient arrived from the US.

Edited by LZB
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

For more news about the novel coronavirus click here.
What you need to know about Coronavirus.
For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.

The Inquirer Foundation supports our healthcare frontliners and is still accepting cash donations to be deposited at Banco de Oro (BDO) current account #007960018860 or donate through PayMaya using this link.

TAGS: COVID-19, deaths, Pangasinan, PUI

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.