CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 10 June) – The 34-year-old market vendor who died of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections last Sunday was already “very ill” when she was brought to the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) last Sunday.
Dr. Bernard Rocha, NMMC spokesperson, said that by that time, the patient was “too ill” to respond to the medical treatment the doctors administered to her.
He said the patient died nine minutes after she arrived at the hospital at 10:20 p.m. Sunday.
“We were told she was scared to come for examination in this hospital. She feared she might contract the COVID-19 here,” Rocha said.
He said the patient complained of abdominal pain, vomiting, had fever and shortness of breath when she was brought to NMMC.
Rocha urged the public not to be afraid to come to the NMMC if they think they have COVID-19 symptoms.
“Better be on the safe side than late,” he said.
The City Health Office here has traced 18 people who have close contacts with the market vendor, including the taxi driver who transported her to the hospital last Sunday.
Dr. Joselito Retuya, city chief epidemiologist, said all of these people are now quarantined in an undisclosed isolation unit.
Retuya said they would be under observation for at least 14 days to see if they manifest symptoms of the coronavirus.
The CHO immediately cordoned two small city blocks along Dabatian Street in Barangay Carmen where the patient resided.
The CHO advised residents not to go out of their houses during the 14-day quarantine period.
The 34-year-old patient was the 15th COVID-19 case recorded in Cagayan de Oro since March and the sixth person infected of the virus in Barangay Carmen. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)
