THE number of patients under investigation (PUI) for the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) acute respiratory syndrome (ARD) in Davao Region has doubled from nine to 18.
Based on the 2019-nCoV tracker of the Department of Health (DOH) as of 12 p.m. of February 7, 16 were admitted in different hospitals in the region, one was discharged, while the other one refused admission.
The DOH, meanwhile, revealed that the region remains free from the virus. However, some of the test results have yet to arrive to confirm their status.
Also, there are only two hospitals in Davao that are equipped with isolation facilities to cater to the PUIs.
The DOH Davao has yet to issue a statement on the status of the PUIs in the region.
In an interview Friday, February 7, Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) Chief of Clinics and Health Emergency Management Bureau (HEMB) coordinator Dr. Ricardo Audan told SunStar Davao that as of Friday, they had five patients admitted to their hospital.
After the results of their specimen from the Research Institute for
Tropical Medicine (RITM) arrived Friday, they have discharged three of their patients after the tests showed a negative result.
DOH Davao earlier said that there might be a difference between the national data and local data because some of the information from the region might have not been included when DOH national office made the daily report and will be counted in the next update.
SPMC is still waiting for the result of the other two PUIs but Audan is poised that they are also both negative for 2019-nCOV, saying when those five were in their isolation facility, they were asymptomatic or did not exhibit signs and symptoms such as fever and cough.
They are expecting the result of the other two to come out today, February 8. Should they be tested negative, they will be released from the isolation facility.
Amid public scare on the disease, Audan assured the public that they are ready to accommodate PUIs.
SPMC has an existing six isolation facilities, of which three are old while three others are new, with negative pressure located in a separate building in the SPMC compound.
SPMC is not taking chances and separated the PUIs from regular patients.
"There's nothing to worry because SPMC is ready to cater them. We have negative pressure room," Audan said, adding that in case the number of PUIs exceeded the isolation capacity, they will have an extension area to cater to other PUIs.
Audan added that the Chinese Embassy in Davao has also coordinated with SPMC, so it can provide assistance to any Chinese who will be admitted.