Tacloban infant being probed for COVID-19 dies, but tests negative for the disease

TACLOBAN CITY –– A 5-month-old boy identified as a patient under investigation (PUI) for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) died on Thursday, April 2, at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) in this city.

Based on the death certificate issued by the EVRMC, the infant, whose family returned to Anahawan town in southern Leyte from Manila on March 16, died due to pediatric community-acquired pneumonia.

Swab samples taken from the boy yielded negative results for COVID-19.

John Paul Roca, information officer of the Department of Health in Eastern Visayas (DOH-8), said the infant was admitted at the EVRMC ward at 1:50 a.m. on April 2 but later died at 11:45 p.m. on the same day.

Roca said the patient was first confined at the Southern Leyte Provincial Hospital based in Maasin City on March 30 for loose bowel movement and vomiting.

He later suffered shortness of breath and fever.

The boy was considered a PUI since he came from Manila, where there are confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Although he tested negative for COVID-19, the boy was immediately buried as part of the DOH protocol.

His family members were subsequently considered as persons under monitoring.

Edited by LZB