DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 25 April) – Two COVID-19 cases who had recovered from COVID-19 and were discharged from the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) for having tested negative, were re-admitted for testing positive again.
Dr. Leopoldo Vega, SPMC chief, said the negative tests on discharge of the patients, one of them a frontline health worker at SPMC, “could have been a false negative possibly due to sampling.”
“It’s probably the sample taken where no virus was detected,” he told MindaNews, adding that it could also be that remnants of viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) could still be detected by the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) machine, considered the “gold standard” in terms of detecting COVID-19.
Readmitted Case 1 exhibited mild symptoms when admitted on March 26, tested positive, was discharged on April 1 with negative results. After discharge, Readmitted Case 1 underwent a mandatory 14-day quarantine, was swabbed, tested positive and was admitted on April 17.
Vega said three days later, on April 20, patient was “discharged again with negative results” and is again on mandatory quarantine for 14 days.
Readmitted Case 2, a frontline health worker of SPMC, exhibited mild symptoms when admitted, was discharged on April 3 with negative results, underwent a 14-day quarantine, was swabbed, tested positive and was readmitted on April 20. The patient, who is asymptomatic, is still waiting for the next swab, he said.
According to SPMC records, Davao City’s confirmed COVID-19 cases had reached 99 as of April 23, 49 of whom recovered while 18 died. (Antonio L. Colina IV with a rreport from Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)