Lone reported COVID-19 patient in Bohol is recovering: health exec

The Crabhouse in Tagbilaran City is one of four hospitality establishments designated by the government as quarantine centers for repatriated OFWs. | R. Tutas

The lone reported coronavirus disease (COVID) 19-positive person in Bohol was already recovering from the infection and continued to show no symptoms of the highly contagious disease.

According to assistant provincial health officer Dr. Yul Lopez, the Capitol’s spokesperson on COVID 19-related matters, the patient who is one of the 116 repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in the province was already recovering based on the “very” high level of IgG (immunoglobulin G) antibody in his body while IgM (Immunoglobulin M) antibody was not detected based on a rapid test.

“Kaming mga doctor nalipay sa iyang antibody test kay labing taas siya og IgG level wala siya’y IgM, timailhan that he is already recovering, kay kanang IgG mao na ang antibody against coronavirus,” Lopez said in a presser on Monday.

The OFW remained as the lone person kept in a government-supervised isolation at the Crabhouse Hotel in Tagbilaran City as other balikbayans in his batch were cleared to go home after testing negative for COVID-19 twice and undergoing more than 14 days of quarantine since their arrival on April 27.

Lopez said that the COVID-19 patient did not show symptoms of the disease throughout his entire quarantine in the province.

Health authorities have again taken swab samples from the OFW for his third polymerase chain reaction test. The samples were sent to Cebu City for testing and results were still awaited.

Meanwhile, OFWs in other quarantine establishments, the Mercedarian Retreat House in Dauis and the Roman Empire resort in Panglao, were also cleared to go home. Both facilities including the Crabhouse once accommodated 65 OFWs for quarantine.

Nurse and other staff members who were in contact with the quarantined OFWs were also tested for COVID-19 and were required to undergo quarantine.

Lopez said that only 51 OFWs billeted at the Story Resort in Panglao remained under government quarantine.

They arrived in Bohol from Manila via Cebu on May 9 and will be allowed to go home after 14 days in quarantine and testing negative for COVID-19 twice in PCR tests. (AD)