Crew member of MV Athens Bridge positive for India COVID-19 variant dies

MANILA, Philippines — One of the crew members of the MV Athens Bridge, positive for the COVID-19 variant first detected in India, has died, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the 63-year-old seafarer, who was originally from Tarlac province but was a resident of Parañaque City, died of COVID-19 complications last week in a hospital in Manila. He had hypertension.

“Yung sa apat na naconfine, isa ay namatay last week. I think that was Friday. Tatlo ay nakakarecover at maayos na ang kanilang estado,” she said in an online press briefing.

(Of the four crew members who were confined at a hospital, one died last week. I think that was Friday. Three are recovering now and their health status is now okay.)

There are a total of nine crew members of the MV Athens Bridge who tested positive for the B.1.617.2 variant of COVID-19 first reported in India, including the four who were confined at a hospital. Vergeire said the remaining five seafarers have already recovered from the disease.

The DOH earlier said there is not enough evidence yet to conclude that the variant from India causes severe infection for COVID-19.

There are 12 cases of the India variant so far in the Philippines. The first two cases, both returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs), have earlier recovered from the disease.

The first case from South Cotabato has nine close contacts. All of them are negative of COVID-19 based on an RT-PCR test as of May 15.

The other ROF from Camarines Sur has 34 close contacts. Three of them earlier tested positive for COVID-19 but later recovered. None of the three close contacts were found positive for any variant of concern.

The nine cases from the MV Athens Bridge are considered cases three to 11.

The 12th case, meanwhile, is a seafarer from Cavite who is still being monitored by health authorities. Vergeire said none of his close contacts in his flight tested positive for COVID-19.

EDV