Editor’s note: We are reposting this story to correct the age of the victim from 8 to 80.
MANILA, Philippines — An 80-year-old woman from Taytay, Rizal died after contracting the contagious coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Taytay Municipal Office has reported.
The information was posted on Sunday on the Facebook page of the Municipal Health Office of Taytay.
It was not immediately clear in the Facebook post as to when the patient died.
At present, there are three confirmed cases in Taytay: the deceased 8o-year-old woman, a 77-year-old man also from Barangay San Juan who is now confined in a Metro Manila hospital, and a 48-year-old man from Barangay Dolores.
The third patient is now undergoing home quarantine as advised by the Department of Health, according to the Taytay municipal health office.
In addition, Taytay has recorded 12 patients under investigation (PUIs) for the coronavirus disease, while 177 are recorded as persons under monitoring (PUMs).
The municipal health office has already conducted contact tracing. Those who have come in close contact with the three patients are now being closely monitored.
COVID-19, which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), is caused by a coronavirus classified as SARS-CoV-2 which is related to the other coronavirus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome but is not as deadly. COVID-19 has a 3-percent mortality rate.
WHO said 80 percent of patients experience mild illness and eventually recover from the disease, while some 14 percent of patients will experience severe illness and 5 percent will be critically ill.
The virus is spread through small droplets from the nose or mouth through coughing or sneezing. Health authorities urge the public to practice frequent hand washing, cover their mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, and avoid close contact with those exhibiting respiratory symptoms to prevent infection.