COVID-19 patient in Antique with Delta variant has died — health exec

MANILA, Philippines — A COVID-19 patient in Antique who was found to have had the Delta variant died last May, an official of the Western Visayas Center for Health Development said Saturday.

Dr. Ma. Sophia Pulmones, Chief of the Western Visayas’ Local Health Support Division, said that the fatality was a 78-year-old woman who was tagged as case number 34 for the Delta variant.

“Based sa pinadala na event-based report ng Provincial Health Office ng Antique, itong case number 34 ay namatay last May 31,” she said at the Laging Handa public briefing.

(Based on the event-based report of the Provincial Health Office in Antique, case number 34 died last May 31.)

Antique has recorded two cases of the highly transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19 that was first reported in India. Pulmones said the other patient, a 79-year-old man, has already recovered and completed his 14-day quarantine.

She noted that both cases are local cases, which means they did not have travel history outside of the country.

“Posible na doon sila nahawa ng sakit mismo sa area nila [It is possible that they got the disease just within their area],” Pumones added.

Pulmones’ report was contrary to the earlier information released by the Department of Health (DOH) on Friday which showed that both local cases in Antique have been tagged as recovered.

The DOH earlier confirmed 16 more cases of the Delta variant, including five from returning overseas Filipinos and 11 that are local cases.

The two cases in Antique are among the 11 local cases announced by the DOH.

In a separate interview at the public briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the DOH is verifying information on the death of the patient in Antique.

She said that at present, the DOH still counts two deaths from the Delta variant: one case detected in the City of Manila and a crew member of the MV Athens Bridge who died last May.

The country has so far confirmed a total of 35 cases of the Delta variant.

Studies have shown that people with the Delta variant could be more likely to be hospitalized, but there is no evidence yet that it is more deadly than the other variants.

JPV