Davao region’s PH 130 ready to go home

DAVAO CITY, Davao del Sur, Philippines — The first patient who tested positive for the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the Davao region has recovered from the disease and can now go home, according to a top health official.

Dr. Annabelle Yumang, the Department of Health (DOH) regional director, said a repeat test for Patient 130 (PH 130) had negative results, making her the first case to have been cleared in the region.

“She can now be discharged since she tested negative and has shown no symptom for days,” Yumang said.

She clarified that the decision to clear PH 130 was based on a new directive that would only require a negative result on one repeat test instead of two. Travel history

PH 130, a 21-year-old woman from Pantukan town in Davao de Oro province, was admitted to Davao Regional Medical Center (DRMC) in Tagum City On March 10 after showing symptoms of the virus and later tested positive for the disease.

She arrived in Davao on Feb. 29 from the United Kingdom. Her flight had layovers in Doha, Qatar, and in Manila.

With the patient’s recovery, Davao region now has only two confirmed COVID-19 cases. As of Tuesday, it had a total of 52 persons under investigation, 31 of them taken to DRMC and 21 to Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City, according to the DOH.