EIGHT persons in Northern Mindanao were confirmed positive for the new virus that causes the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), six of whom are from Cagayan de Oro City, the city health cluster reported on Monday, June 15, 2020.
This brought the total number of Covid-19 cases in the city to 21.
The other two of the eight Covid patients in the region are from Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental.
Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) medical specialist Dr. Bernard Rocha said the two residents from Gingoog City, a 30-year-old man and his one-year-old daughter, are currently admitted in a hospital.
According to Rocha, the 30-year-old man is a construction worker in Manila. He was stranded in Manila since the lockdown in March. On June 5, he was able to get a clearance to travel and underwent rapid testing with a negative result.
On June 9, he traveled via 2Go and arrived in Gingoog City on June 11 where he complained of having a sore throat and was quarantined. He underwent rapid testing and his result read positive.
On June 12, the 30-year-old man's symptoms persisted and associated with shortness of breath. His swab was taken on the same day and was tested in the lab at the NMMC. The result turned out positive on June 13.
Rocha said that at present, the man is in a stable condition and has started taking oral antibiotics. The 30-year-old man also has no comorbidities and is a former smoker.
The other Covid-19 patient from Gingoog City is the daughter of the 30-year-old man. Rocha said the one-year-old girl was feeling well on June 5 and underwent rapid testing prior to the travel.
However, on June 10, while still on board the ship, her mother noticed the girl's cough and colds, although she did not experience any fever or diarrhea.
Upon arrival on June 11 in Gingoog City, she underwent rapid testing and her result turned out positive. On June 12, she experienced a productive cough. She got started on oral antibiotics. She was swabbed and her test result, which came out on June 13, read positive.
The one-year-old girl, at present, is in a stable condition, Rocha said.
Meanwhile, the newest confirmed Covid-19 cases in Cagayan de Oro involved a resident from Barangay Bulua, and the five family members of the Covid patient from Dabatian Street, Barangay Carmen.
According to City Health Office (CHO) epidemiologist Dr. Joselito Retuya, the man from Barangay Bulua is an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) returnee who worked in Indonesia and arrived in Cagayan de Oro on March 12.
He was able to complete his 14-day quarantine and was given a quarantine completion certificate.
Retuya said the man, while he was in Cagayan de Oro, regularly traveled from home to his farm in Opol. He also occasionally went to an establishment in Kauswagan and in Barangay Carmen to purchase some supplies.
On June 5, he went to a private hospital after he was contacted by the company he worked for in Indonesia. On June 8, he went to the CHO where he received his medical certificate. On June 9, he visited the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) for his travel authority.
On June 10, he traveled to Manila via plane. He underwent the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction testing in Pasig and on June 13, his result came out positive.
The asymptomatic man is currently staying in an assigned condominium in Manila, Retuya said.
He was scheduled for a repeat test on June 17.