Lanao Norte hospital closed as 5 health workers have COVID-19 antibodies

ILIGAN CITY –– The provincial government of Lanao del Norte has temporarily closed its hospital in Baloi town after five staff members tested positive for immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody during rapid testing on Thursday (May 14).

Lyndon Calica, head of the provincial COVID-19 incident command center, said Lanao del Norte Governor Imelda Dimaporo has ordered the temporary closure of the Baloi hospital for disinfection.

Calica said that per instruction of Dimaporo, the facility would be opened only if the swab samples for reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test return negative results.

The five health workers were among the 44 front-liners in Baloi, who submitted themselves for rapid testing.

The five health workers were immediately swabbed for confirmatory RT-PCR test and were isolated in the provincial quarantine facility in Kapatagan town.

The Food and Drug Administration said rapid tests determine two antibodies, the IgG and immunoglobulin M (IgM).

IgG antibodies represent the response from a past infection, while IgM antibodies represent the response to a current or recent infection, the FDA said.

Dimaporo gave the assurance that those in contact with the health workers were being traced, while the other health workers of the Baloi provincial hospital were also quarantined.

So far, Lanao del Norte has two COVID-19 cases, the most recent one being a 67-year-old male from Kapatagan, said Dr. Teresa Reponte, Lanao del Norte’s acting provincial health officer.

The first one, who has since recovered, is a cockfighting aficionado from Tubod town, who contracted the virus at a derby last March in the New Matina Gallera in Davao City.

LZB