MANILA, Philippines — No one would die from mild symptoms of COVID-19, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Monday.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire made this remark when asked about supposedly mild and asymptomatic patients who eventually died of COVID-19 even if they are expected to survive the disease unlike those with severe or critical conditions.
“Lahat ng sakit katulad ng COVID-19, mag-uumpisa talaga sa mild. Ngayon, merong porsyento sa ating populasyon na talagang magpoprogress tayo into this severe or critical stage, and hindi totoo na mamamatay kayo na mild lang ang sakit niyo,” Vergeire said over ABS-CBN News Channel.
(All diseases like COVID-19 start with mild conditions. Now there is really a percentage in our population that will progress into a severe or critical stage, and it is not true that you will die of mild illness.)
“Kapag namatay ang tao, naging severe na ang kanyang kondisyon (If the patient died, it means he or she was already in severe condition),” she added.
On April 5, Former lawmaker Miro Quimbo shared that his family did not suspect that his aunt had contracted COVID-19 and would eventually die as she did not have any symptoms of the disease. He said his cousin only noticed that his aunt became sleepy for several days and that it was only after she started snoring heavily that the family asked for medical advice.
Vergeire reiterated that 40 percent of hospitals’ capacity for COVID-19 patients are housing mild and asymptomatic patients. She said that to decongest hospitals, the government is setting up step-down care facilities for those who are scheduled for discharge already.
Vergeire then reminded the public of telemedicine hotlines that they can call for consultations.
“These can really help you so you can determine if you really need to go to the hospital already,” she said.
The country currently has a total of 146,519 active cases, including 11,681 new infections reported on Sunday. The DOH said 98.6 percent of the active cases are mild and asymptomatic.
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