DOH-6 strengthens COVID-19 surveillance

By Emme Rose Santiagudo

The Department of Health-Center for Health Development in Western Visayas (DOH-CHD-6) will strengthen its surveillance measures in barangays in the region following the first confirmed local transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country.

The health department is bracing for the possible local transmission through barangay surveillance to closely monitor travelers from countries with confirmed cases of COVID-19, Dr. Jane Juanico, head of DOH-CHD 6 Infectious Disease Section, said Sunday.

“We are strengthening the surveillance of our Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs) as they monitor travelers who go in and out of the barangays especially people from virus-hit countries,” Juanico said.

A 62-year-old male Filipino with no travel history to any country with confirmed coronavirus cases became the first local case of COVID-19, the DOH reported Saturday.

His 59-year-old wife also contracted the virus and became the second case of local transmission in the country.

The two local cases prompted the DOH to raise the coronavirus alert system to Code Red sublevel 1 and to recommend for the country to be placed under a State of Public Health Emergency.

As the national health agency confirmed the local transmission in the National Capital Region (NCR), Juanico warned this means that the virus can spread from person to person with carriers exhibiting signs and symptoms.

“Local transmission can mean that the virus can be passed from person to person pero wala nagmanifest ang symptoms and ang iban very minimal so wala ta kabalo kon ang mga nagasulod nga tawo may dala na sila nga virus nga probably nag-incubate sa tawo pero wala nag-manifest sang symptoms,” she explained.

There is still no existing local transmission and clustering of COVID-19 cases in the region, but the public should not be complacent and remain vigilant, Juanico stressed.

“We have no existing local case in the region but this does not mean that the public should be complacent. There are still many travelers who come and go in the region including OFWs who come home so we still don’t know if they are potential carriers of the virus,” she said.

For the general public, indi mangin complacent. Ang iban sa aton abi naton okay na gakalipat na kita maghugas kamot and other practices so amo na we are emphasizing that regardless may COVID-19 or wala, we practice prevention and control measures,” Juanico added.

Since January, DOH-CHD 6 has recorded 42 patients under investigation (PUIs) in the region.

All 41 tested negative for COVID-19 while one remains admitted to a hospital in Iloilo City, Juanico said.