Whose COVID update is more factual?
DOH-CHD 1 OR PHO
INFORMED that there are many noted discrepancies between the COVID-19 updates of Department of Health-Center for Health Development 1 (DOH-CHD 1) and the Provincial Health Office (PHO) about the situation in Pangasinan, Dr. Anna de Guzman, provincial health officer, maintained that PHO’s figures are more accurate because the data are collated from regular reports of municipal and city health officers.
This was Dr. Guzman’s reaction to questions posed by THE PUNCH why there seemed to be many discrepancies in the COVID-19 updates between DOH-CHD 1 and PHO, citing their respective updates on April 27 alone.
The Ilocos Region COVID-19 update as of 8:00 p.m. on April 27, 2021, DOH-CHD 1 reported that Pangasinan had 1,793 active cases; 4,178 recoveries, 269 deaths and 6,240 confirmed cases. New confirmed cases for Pangasinan that day totaled 32.
Meanwhile, PHO’s COVID-19 update in Pangasinan as of 5 p.m. on April 27 as released showed that Pangasinan listed 656 active cases only (not 1,793), recoveries, 6,306 (not 4,178); deaths, 250 (not 269) and confirmed cases, 5,951 (not 6,240).
On the other hand, DOH-CHD 1 listed Dagupan, an independent component city of Pangasinan, to have 197 active cases, 1,280 recoveries; 67 deaths and 1,306 confirmed cases. There were only four active cases in Dagupan on April 27.
But PHO listed Dagupan with 45 active cases (not 197), 1,261 recoveries, (not 1,280), 53 deaths, (not 67); and 1,359 confirmed cases (not 1,386).
The Ilocos Region COVD-19 update that includes Pangasinan and Dagupan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte was released in infographic form by the Philippine Information Agency, Region 1. PIA maintained that their figures are accurate.
DOH-CHD 1 reported Pangasinan as having registered 56 new confirmed cases but PHO reported Dagupan as having only 4 newly confirmed cases, 3 recoveries and zero death.
Provincial Information Officer Butch Velasco was surprised to see that the active cases listed under Pangasinan in the DOH-CHD 1 update seemed to indicate it was 1,000 more than PHO’s actual active cases of 600 plus. (Leonardo Micua)
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