DOH report to House: 591 COVID-19 cases among 0-18 age group

MANILA, Philippines — There are 591 cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) among young men and women aged 0 to 18 as of May 12, the Department of Health (DOH) reported Wednesday.

During the online hearing of the House Committee on the welfare of children, Dr. Ferchito Avelino of the DOH’s Epidemiology Bureau said the number of COVID-19 cases in the 0-to-18 age group makes up 5 percent of the 11,350 confirmed cases in the country as of May 12.

According to Avelino, of the 591 COVID-19 cases, 546 remain active, 35 have recovered, while 10 have died.

In terms of the distribution of the cases per region, Central Visayas, the National Capital Region, and Calabarzon recorded the most number of cases.

A total of 262 of the 591 cases are from Region VII (Central Visayas); 233 are from the National Capital Region (NCR); 52 are from Region IV-A (Calabarzon); 14 are from Region III (Central Luzon); 14 are from Region XI (Davao); five are from Region IV-B (Mimaropa); two are from Region V (Bicol) and two are from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

Regions VI (Western Visayas), IX (Zamboanga Peninsula), XIII (Carga), I (Ilocos), and II (Cagayan Valley) have one confirmed COVID-19 cases each, said Avelino.

Active cases and fatalities

As stated, 546 of the 591 cases remain active. Of this number, 506 are considered mild cases, 38 are asymptomatic, one is severe and one is in critical condition.

Meanwhile, the ten patients who died from the disease came from the National Capital Region (six cases), Central Visayas (two cases), Calabarzon (one case), and Ilocos Region (one case).

Six of the ten cases were males and four of the ten cases have co-morbidity such as cerebral palsy, asthma, and tuberculosis complications.

By age group

In terms of age group, there are 43 confirmed COVID-19 cases among children aged 0 to less than one; 94 cases among children aged one to less than five; 138 cases among children aged five to less than 11; 123 among teens aged 11 to less than 15; and 193 among those aged 15 to less than 19.

Specifically, of the 43 confirmed cases among infants aged 0 to 12 months, 27 of them are as young as 0 to 1 month, three are aged one to six months, one aged six to nine months, and one is aged nine to 12 months.

Eleven more cases within the age group are still being verified.

Further, two of the cases aged 0 to 12 months have also passed away, said Avelino.

As of May 12, there are 11,350 COVID-19 cases in the country, with the death toll at 751.