DOH official recovers from COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — An official of the Department of Health (DOH) has won her battle against the infectious coronavirus disease (COVID-19). 

Identified as Patient 2,721 in the DOH list, Health Assistant Secretary Charade Grande of the Health Regulations Team has recovered from the disease and is now waiting to finish her 14-day self-quarantine before heading back to work.

“Pinatutunayan po ng kwento nya na ang COVID-19 ay walang pinipili at walang sinisino [Her story proves that COVID-19 chooses no one],” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a televised press briefing Monday.

“Ang mahalaga po ay nakapagpa-test sya noong nakaramdam sya ng mga sintomas, nagpositibo, at nagamot agad sya at nakapag-quarantine ng additional 14 days [What’s important is that she was able to get herself tested from the time she felt the symptoms, become positive, and treated immediately and she placed herself in an additional 14 days of quarantine],” she added.

In the same press briefing, Vergeire announced that a total of 1,245 health care professionals have so far been infected with COVID-19.

Of the number, 27 have succumbed to the disease, 21 of which are doctors.

The health care workers form part of the country’s 7,777 total COVID-19 infections. Meanwhile, the country’s COVID-19 death toll is already at 551, while 932 patients were able to recover.

JPV