CHU: Close contacts of confirmed COVID positives should be extra careful

MAASIN CITY, Oct. 28 (PIA) -- People who are identified by confirmed Covid positive individuals as having close contacts with them should be extra careful, the head of the city health unit warned.

Dr. Francilisa Tan, chief of City Health Unit I (CHU I), admonished these identified close contacts to remain at home and wear face masks all the time while waiting for the call to be swabbed.

She recalled calling a person who was scheduled for swabbing the next day, but in the evening, or the night just before his date with RT-PCR test, had a drinking spree instead.

The swab test result of this very person turned out positive, and imagine how rattled all his fellow drinkers upon knowing this result, some voluntarily calling the CHU on what to do, while others were in denial mood, turning off the phone when told a contact tracer was about to locate them.

In a recent interview, Tan appealed to those who were traced to answer the phone so the extent of infection can be tracked and stop the spread of the virus.

“It is not only the people’s health that is the concern here but the economic and social well-being of the confirmed positive person will also be affected, so be extra careful,” Dr. Tan advised.

Meanwhile, the first and second weeks of this month, October, saw a spike in the number of local transmissions to more than a hundred infected persons, prompting the city government to implement granular lockdown on sections of five barangays, two health and wellness centers, the city’s police station, and a mall.

But before the month was over, most of the closed areas of the barangays were re-opened, including the health and public institutions, and the big commercial store, as many of those infected had recovered following the 14-day isolation protocol, and thus were subsequently discharged.

In his FB post today, Oct. 28, Mayor Nacional Mercado announced 11 more Covid-19 recoveries, bringing the total recoveries to 119, with 57 active cases left.

“With or without cases, we urged the public to religiously practice the infection-prevention and control measures.  We are also one in prayer for the full recovery of our patients, as well as for the safety of all Maasinhons,” Mayor Mercado posted.  (ldl/mmp/PIA Southern Leyte)



Source: Philippines Information Agency (pia.gov.ph)

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