DAVAO CITY, Davao del Sur, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed that two residents of this city who had recent trips to Metro Manila tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
In a bulletin issued on Saturday evening, the DOH said the couple were part of the 77 new infections, bringing to 307 the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country.
With these two cases here, there are now six COVID-19 infections in Mindanao; two of them had died.
Patients 262 and 263 are both 47 years old, said the Davao Center for Health Development.
The couple returned to Davao from Manila on March 6 and developed symptoms days after.
On March 9, Patient 263 had colds and body malaise while her husband started having colds, too. Both are only on home quarantine.
The Davao Center for Health Development said that specimens were collected from both patients on March 13 and were immediately sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.
Despite the positive test results, both patients are now asymptomatic.
They are set to go through re-testing and will be cleared once they get two negative results.
“Two negative test results that are 48 hours apart should be done before the patients will be cleared of COVID-19,” the Davao Center for Health Development said.
Meanwhile, two of the four persons under investigation (PUI) in the Davao Region tested negative for COVID-19.
“The 71-year-old PUI from Matanao, Davao del Sur who died of septic shock secondary to generalized peritonitis secondary to perforated peptic ulcer last March 15, 2020, in Southern Philippines Medical Center tested negative to COVID-19,” the DOH said.
The 68-year-old Korean who was a resident of Panabo and died at the Davao Regional Medical Center on March 17 also tested negative.
/atm