Three PUIs in hospital isolation for COVID-19
THREE persons in Pangasinan, all of whom have history of travel and showed respiratory symptoms, were admitted and placed in isolation as Persons Under Investigation (PUIs) in still undisclosed hospitals in the province.
Dr. Anna de Guzman, provincial health officer, said two PUIs are Overseas Filipino Workers (one was a 23-year old female who came from China, and the other, a male, from Taiwan).
The third PUI is a five-year old boy who along with parents just arrived from vacation in Spain. However, the boy’s parents did not show any sign of respiratory ailments and were considered Persons Under Monitoring (PUMs) and advised to self-quarantine for 14 days.
De Guzman did not mention where the two OFW-PUIs were admitted in isolation.
All members of the couple’s households were also advised to quarantine themselves for 14 days as PUMs.
De Guzman said throat swabs were already taken from the three PUIs and their specimens have been submitted for laboratory tests at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Metro Manila and the results are expected this week.
Dr. Rosario Pamintuan, chief of the Regional Disease Surveillance Unit of DOH Region 1, said it usually takes only 48 hours for the results to be known and released by RITM.
Meanwhile, De Guzman called on the residents not to be alarmed because the three PUIs placed under isolation are still not confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Under the Department of Health protocol, if one has cough, colds and fever and has a history of travel, especially in countries with a number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, the person is considered a PUI.
Meantime, she said the number of PUMs who came in close contact with the three PUIs could not still be determined.
De Guzman said there were 43 previous PUMs in Pangasinan who came in contact with PUIs but they were released from quarantine as soon as the results of their submitted specimens of the PUIs proved negative of the virus.
De Guzman said until the results of the tests on the three PUIs are received, it is safe to say that Pangasinan remains COVID-19-free, echoing the assurance given on Monday to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan by Dr. Valeriano Lopez, regional director of the DOH in Region 1. (Leonardo Micua)
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