San Juan Medical Center doctor has COVID-19; in stable condition

MANILA, Philippines — A doctor at the San Juan Medical Center (SJMC) has tested positive for COVID-19, probably the latest among frontline health workers who have acquired the highly-infectious respiratory illness while performing their duties in the battle against the pandemic.

“We do have one doctor in SJMC who tested positive to the virus and is in a hospital in Manila right now,” San Juan City Public Information Office chief Brian Geli confirmed to INQUIRER.net in a text message on Thursday. “I believe the doctor is now in a stable condition.”

According to Geli, “it is a big possibility” that the doctor had acquired the disease while treating COVID-19 patients confined in SJMC.

“A lot of doctors and other health workers who are positive got their diseases from work. We are very thankful for their bravery and sacrifices and we pray for their swift recovery,” he said.

He also said that like in other health facilities, SJMC has other health personnel now considered as either patients under investigation or persons under monitoring.

He said some of them are in quarantine either in their homes or at the hospital.

SJMC currently attends to five COVID-19 patients and 12 PUIs, according to Geli.

Meanwhile, the PIO chief said San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora is “well” as he leads the city’s efforts to combat the disease.

San Juan City has a total of 43 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Thursday afternoon based on the case tracker of the Department of Health.

To date, the Philippines has 707 people infected with COVID-19, including 45 deaths and 28 recoveries.

COVID-19, which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), is caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2.

Globally, COVID-19 has already infected more than 472,000 people and killed over 21,300.

WHO said 80 percent of patients experience mild illness and eventually recover from the disease, while some 14 percent experience severe illness and five percent become critically ill. COVID-19 may be fatal for the elderly, the immunocompromised, and those with underlying medical conditions.

Among the symptoms of a COVID-19 infection are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. Some patients may also experience aches or pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea.

The virus is spread through small droplets from the nose or mouth when those infected coughs or sneezes. Health authorities have been urging the public to practice frequent hand washing, cover their mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, and avoid close contact with those exhibiting respiratory symptoms to prevent infection.

KGA