CAGAYAN DE ORO (MindaNews / 13 April) – An 18-year-old cancer patient from this city died of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City, Mayor Oscar Moreno revealed Monday.
Moreno said he learned that the male patient from Barangay Bulua died at the SPMC last week.
City health teams disinfect establishments along Cruz Taal, Cagayan de Oro on March 23, 2020 to fight the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A cancer patient from the city succumbed to COVID-19 at the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City. MindaNews photo courtesy of City Information Office
The mayor said they do not know how the patient got infected of the coronavirus in Davao City.
Epidemiologist Dr. Teodolfo Retuya, head of the Cagayan de Oro COVID-19 tracker teams, said the patient had been staying in Davao City since July last year for his chemotherapy treatment.
“He stayed in Davao City with his father and they were there since the COVID-19 broke out,” Retuya said.
Dr. Leopoldo Vega, chief of the SPMC in Davao City told MindaNews that the 18-year old from Cagayan de Oro “was treated for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, immuno-compromised and positive for COVID.”
Asked how the 18-year could have been infected by the virus, Vega replied: “must have been the hospital environment.”
Retuya said they have placed the mother and the sister of the patient under quarantine at their house in Barangay Bulua.
He said the mother and her daughter were not showing symptoms of COVID-19
Retuya and his tracker teams have traced the seven cockfighting aficionados who attended the Araw ng Dabaw 6-cock derby held from March 6 to 12 at the New Davao Matina Gallera in Davao City.
He said that six, including their “Kristo” (bet taker), are from Barangay Camaman-an while the other one is from Barangay Lapasan, all in this city.
Retuya said the seven persons were placed under home quarantine even if they did not show any symptoms of COVID-19 in the last 14 days. (Froilan Gallardo with a report from Carolyn O. Arguillas/ MindaNews)
