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KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 28 April) – The cockfighting aficionado from here who attended the Davao derby early in March and first confirmed to be positive of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on April 9 tested positive again on his second test, several weeks after the controversial cockfighting event that has become Mindanao’s “ground zero” of the virus.
Arjohn Gangoso, spokesperson for the Department of Health (DoH) in Region 12, said they just received on Tuesday PH3989’s polymerase chain reaction (PCR) laboratory results from the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City.
Gangoso explained that PH3989 still carries the virus even if his supposed exposure to a positive case was already way more than a month.
“We know for a fact that COVID-19 is self-limiting. But from the looks of it, there seems a problem with the immune system of PH3989,” said Gangoso.
City health officials said the cockfighting aficionado is still asymptomatic but has to remain inside the Kidapawan City Quarantine Center for another 14 days because of his recent test results.
During this period, according to Gangoso, PH3989 should take another COVID-19 test.
“Once he tested negative of the virus in the coming test, we can safely say that he is already COVID-19-free or has fully recovered,” he stressed.
PH3989 was infected with the virus after his exposure to a patient when he attended one of the meetings inside the VIP room at the Matina Gallera in Davao City held last March.
At least 43 confirmed COVID-19 cases all over Mindanao have been traced to attendance at the “Araw ng Davao celebration six-cock derby” at the New Davao Matina Gallera early last month or exposure to those who were at the derby. (Malu Cadelina Manar / MindaNews)