Oldest Covid-19 case in the region dies; source of ‘transmission’ still unknown

By Emme Rose Santiagudo

The oldest coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patient in Western Visayas from the town of Miagao in Iloilo province expired Tuesday morning.

According to Miagao Mayor Macario Napulan, the 94-year-old male patient passed away after suffering from cardiac arrest in a hospital.

“Ginconfirm sang apo niya nga napatay siya kagina mga around 11 in the morning kay nacardiac arrest siya,” he told Daily Guardian Tuesday.

The patient labeled by the Department of Health-Center for Health Development Western Visayas (DOH-CHD) 6 as WV Patient No. 31 suffered from pneumonia and diabetes.

Napulan said the remains of the patient will be cremated as soon as possible.

“As soon as possible, i-cremate siya, wala may mapalapit kag wala may ma-attend sang funeral services,” he said.

The mayor admitted that they are still having a hard time establishing how the patient was infected since he had no travel history to places with confirmed COVID-19 cases.

“Waay siya travel history, wala siya exposure sa positive case kay nagatinir lang siya sa balay. Budlay i-establish ang transmission kon diin ang ginhalinan,” he said.

The patient is the second COVID-19 case in Miagao but he had no exposure to the first case in the town, Napulan added.

“Wala man siya kalagaw kag ang balay sang una nga kaso layo man sa ila,” he added.

Napulan said the patient was first admitted to a government hospital. He went home but was again admitted to a hospital in Iloilo City.

Swabs of the around 40 family members, health workers in the hospital, and other individuals who had exposure to the patient have already been sent for laboratory testing, according to Napulan.

The mayor said all family members of the patient remain asymptomatic expect one of his child who is in a hospital after manifesting mild signs and symptoms.

“His child is a person under investigation (PUI) with a mild case and is currently admitted in a hospital,” Napulan said.

Meanwhile, the first case of the town, a 22-year-old female, was negative in her repeat test but Napulan said that she has still to undergo a third test before she can be declared negative.

The mayor added that the family members of the first case also tested negative for COVID-19.