CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — An 18-year-old resident of this city died inside the government health facility in Davao City after contracting the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
This was bared by Dr. Ian Gonzales of the Department of Health-10 (DOH-10) on Monday during the regular press briefing organized by the local government.
Gonzales, chief of the DOH-10 Infectious Diseases Cluster of DOH-10, said the victim died at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) where he was receiving cancer treatment.
“The said teenager had been in and out of the hospital there for treatment of lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes) since July last year and likely during the course of his confinement may have contracted COVID-19,” he said.
The only other contact he had, he said, was with his father who is also based and is still in Davao City.
Dr. Joselito Retuya, a resident epidemiologist at the City Health Office, said the rest of the young man’s family who reside in Barangay Bulua here had not been in Davao City and were not in contact with the patient and his father before and after his death.
“In fact, the mother, the main informant is working at the City Health Office of this city and the older brother is also residing here. Both had no symptoms and they have not been to Davao City,” Retuya said.
Gonzalez pointed out that health authorities had to be careful in disclosing the patient’s personal information for contact tracing because they need to consider existing laws, such as the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Disease Act and the Data Privacy.
Meanwhile, Mayor Oscar Moreno said he has already signed an ordinance making the wearing of face masks mandatory in the city.
Moreno said violators could face mandatory community service. -PNA
