CAGAYAN DE ORO (MindaNews / 25 September) – Workers returning to their homes without disinfecting themselves are among the leading reasons for the spike of COVID-19 cases here, an official said.
City Health Office epidemiologist Dr. Joselito Retuya said these workers who belong to the Authorized Persons Outside Residence are unaware that they are bringing the deadly coronavirus to their homes and families.
Retuya said they based their findings on interviews with COVID-19 patients in the city.
“Workers should clean up before entering their residences. They should disinfect to avoid inviting COVID-19 to homes,” he advised.
“The workers should be careful not to bring the virus back to their homes,” he said.
“A lot of our workers relax their guard when they are at home, even after spending hours outside,” he noted.
He said workers should shower before entering their homes and place their used clothes outside to prevent the possibility of infecting their families.
Health officials cited one case where a nurse went home without disinfecting herself. A few days later, the nurse’s 77-year-old grandmother was infected with the virus and died a few days after.
City Health Office chief Dr. Lorraine Nery said local transmissions have already exceeded the number of cases among returning residents and overseas workers as of Sept. 23.
Nery said the number of infected persons in the city has risen to 222.
She said that as of 10 p.m. Wednesday, the City Health Office recorded 28 infections for the day and in all cases but one, the transmission happened within their families. (Froilan Gallardo/MindaNews)