CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 20 Oct) – A 106-year-old male patient has successfully beaten the SARS-CoV-2 virus and was discharged from the city isolation unit last Monday.
The news that a centenarian was able to survive the deadly coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while 57 other patients much younger than him did not make it was warmly greeted by officials and residents who are reeling with daily double-digit infections.
“A glimmer of hope,” said one netizen who was watching the announcement on Facebook Tuesday noon.
Dr. Joselito Retuya, chief epidemiologist of the City Health Office, said that as far as they know, this resident of Barangay Lumbia could be the oldest patient in the country to recover from COVID-19.
Retuya said the patient took a month to defeat the virus, transferring from one medical facility to another.
He said the patient was first admitted at a private hospital where he was diagnosed to be positive of the coronavirus.
Retuya said the patient was transferred to the Northern Mindanao Medical Center where he responded well to the medication given by doctors.
“Gradually we transferred him to a temporary treatment medical facility (TTMF) as he recovered and finally to the isolation unit where he was diagnosed free from the virus,” Retuya said.
He said the centenarian was discharged from the city isolation unit and went home to Barangay Lumbia.
The City Health Office said double-digit infections are still being reported across the city every day.
Retuya said they found 25 COVID-19 local transmissions last Monday with 19 recoveries, including the 106-year-old patient.
He said at least 847 patients were able to recover against 1,278 infections since the pandemic started in March.
(Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)