Davao region’s confirmed COVID-19 cases now 6; total in Mindanao 9

Carolyn O. Arguillas

March 24, 2020
3:07 pm

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 24 March) – The number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease or COVID-19 has reached nine in Mindanao as of March 23 as three more cases were reported in the Davao region.

The Department of Health (DOH) – Davao reported three more confirmed cases as of 8 p.m. on March 23, bringing the total in the region to six since March 15 when it announced its first confirmed case.

The DOH-Davao said the three new cases are PH442, a 28-year old male with history of travel from Manila; PH443, a 32-year old male with history of travel from Manila and PH444, a 50-year old male with history of travel from Manila, Palawan and Cebu.

The DOH said they are admitted in COVID-19 treatment facilities in the region and are in stable condition. It did not say where but the designated treatment facilities in the region are the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City and Davao Regional Medical Center (DRMC) in Tagum City.

Two days earlier, on March 21, the DOH-Davao reported two confirmed cases – PH262 and PH263 – husband and wife from Davao City, both 47. It said they were “asymptomatic and on strict home quarantine” but the next day, they were moved to the isolation facility at the SPMC, with their children.||| |||buy nizoral online with |||

Davao region comprises the five Davao provinces (de Oro, del Norte, del Sur, Occidental and Oriental) and the cities of Davao, Tagum, Panabo, Samal, Digos and Mati.

Nationwide, the number of confirmed cases had reached 462 as of 4 p.m. on March 23 with 33 deaths and 18 recoveries.

Mindanao’s COVID-19 cases rose to 9 as of 8 p.m. on March 23, with two deaths and one recovery, already discharged from the hospital.

The two deaths are PH40 and PH201, both from Lanao del Sur who died in the state-run hospitals in Cagayan de Oro and Marawi City. Discharged on March 23 was PH130, the first confirmed case in the Davao region.

Here are Mindanao’s confirmed COVID-19 cases (MCC), based on DOH reports.

Mindanao COVID-19 Case 1 (MCC1)

PH 40. Male, 58, Filipino. From Lanao del Sur. He declared no history of travel. Onset of symptoms on 24 February 2020. Admitted at Adventist Medical Center in Iligan City on March 3, 2020, transferred to Northern Mindanao Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro City on March 8. Expired evening of March 13. Cause of Death: Acute Respiratory Disease Syndrome (ARDS) secondary to COVID-19.||| |||buy bactrim online with |||

Lab test confirmed positive for COVID-19 on 15 March.

PH 40 was among thousands of victims of the Marawi Siege who sought refuge in Manila and returned home recently before he was admitted in the Iligan hospital.

Mindanao COVID-19 Case 2 (MCC2)

PH 130. Female, 21, Filipino. From Davao de Oro. With travel history (United Kingdom to Davao via Doha in Qatar and Manila). Symptoms felt March 3, 2020. Admitted at the Davao Regional Medical Center in Tagum City on March 10, 2020. Lab test confirmed positive for COVID-19 on 15 March 2020. Tagged “in stable condition” by DOH-Davao. Discharged on March 23, 2020.

Mindanao COVID-19 Case 3 (MCC3)
PH145. Male, 32. Filipino. From Lanao del Sur. Confined at the Cotabato Regional Medical Center in Cotabato City. Traveled to Malaysia. Reportedly recovering.

PH 145, according to the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, attended the Tabligh gathering in Malaysia, along with PH 201.

Mindanao COVID-19 Case 4 (MCC4)

PH201. Male, 58, Filipino. From Lanao del Sur. Traveled to Malaysia. Admitted at Amai Pakpak Medical Center on March 10, 2020. Expired on March 17 at 6:41 a.m. Confirmed positive for COVID-19 on March 18, 2020. Cause of Death: ARDS secondary to COVID-19. With pre-existing Diabetes Mellitus. PH201 was listed as the 15^th death of 17 nationwide as of March 18.

Mindanao COVID-19 Case 5 (MCC5)
PH262. Male, 47, Filipino. Resident of Davao City. Traveled to Metro Manila, arrived in Davao City on March 6, 2020. Onset of symptoms, colds started March 13, 2020. Specimen collection done at SPMC last March 13, 2020 and sent out to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) on the same day. Confirmation announced on March 21.

Mindanao COVID-19 Case 6 (MCC6)
PH263. Female, 47, Filipino. Wife of PH262. Traveled to Metro Manila and arrived in Davao City last March 6, 2020. Onset of symptoms, colds and body malaise began on March 9, 2020. Specimen collection was done at SPMC last March 13, 2020 and was sent out to RITM on the same day. Confirmation announced on March 21.

Mindanao COVID-19 Cases 7, 8 and 9

The DOH-Davao provided no other details on the three new confirmed cases — PH442, PH443 and PH444, except that their ages are 28, 32 and 50 and that they had travelled to Manila and that PH444 had traveled to Manila, Palawan and Cebu.

The DOH-Davao report said the health team is “already coordinating with the concerned airline and with other agencies to expedite the contact tracing.”

It not say when they arrived from Manila and what aircraft and flight number they boarded.

It said DOH surveillance teams together with the City Health Office teams are “deployed and conducting extensive information-gathering and contact tracing to all persons who interacted with and in close proximity to the patient.”

The Ministry of Health in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) reported as of March 23 that they have four confirmed COVID-19 cases with two deaths.

The BARMM report apparently referred to the two deaths (PH40 and PH201) as these are the only recorded deaths among Mindanao’s COVID-19 cases thus far.||| |||buy priligy online with |||

PH40 and PH201 were both from Lanao del Sur, a member-province of BARMM. But PH40 was also recorded as part of the statistical data of DOH-Region 10 (Northern Mindanao) where he died, although noted under “captured non-region case.”

PH145, also from Lanao del Sur but admitted in a Cotabato City hospital, is recorded under BARMM statistics but is also recorded under Region 12. Cotabato City last year voted for inclusion in the BARMM. The DOH Region 12 still includes the city in its report.

MindaNews is still verifying from BARMM the case number and details of the other confirmed COVID-19 case that it reported. The DOH central office has not released case profiles after March 16.

The last time the DOH released a document – “Details of confirmed COVID-19 cases tested in the Philippines” – was on March 16, but only for cases 1 to 142.

The DOH has yet to release details on cases 143 to 406. (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)

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