Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 8) — Health officials are puzzled as to how the country’s first COVID-19 variant fatality was infected. Weeks after the patient’s death, the Department of Health on Monday said the patient from Benguet rarely left his home.
The 84-year-old patient from La Trinidad, Benguet was found with the more transmissible variant first detected in the United Kingdom. The patient died on Jan. 24 but the source of infection remains a mystery, Health Department spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said.
“Noong kausap natin ang regional office, they said this person never went out — seldom — nandoon lang daw sa loob ng bahay, walang ibang contact. Tinitignan natin kung ano ang source of infection,” she said in a media briefing.
[Translation: When we talked to the regional office, they said this person never went out, always stayed inside the house, did not come in contact with anyone else. We are looking at the source of infection.]
La Trinidad Municipal Health Officer Dr. Antonette Agpas said the elderly patient has no known history of travel nor contact with the two siblings in their area who were also found with the UK variant. She said they are tracking down the people the patient came in contact with.
“Kung walang history of travel ang mga nag-positive, titignan natin ngayon kung sino ang close contacts nila. From the close contacts, titignan na naman natin sino ang mga naging close contacts din,” Agpas said.
[Translation: If those who test positive have no travel history, we will check their close contacts. From the close contacts, we will then check those who they had close contact with.]
DOH added there is at least one more patient with an unknown source of infection, but said it does not mean that there is already community transmission in the country. Vergeire said further investigation is needed before health authorities can declare a community transmission of the B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant because this will mean it is already widespread in the community that the virus’ source can no longer be traced.
The country has 25 confirmed cases of the UK variant: Two are active cases, 22 have recovered, while one died.
Meanwhile, the DOH apologized for tagging one variant case as coming from Liloan, Cebu. Vergeire said the information was based on the initial data sent to them, adding that they are investigating the patient’s current address to conduct contract tracing. This came after DOH-Central Visayas clarified that the 35-year-old patient got tested in Metro Manila but was not currently staying in Liloan.
“We like to apologize to the province of Cebu, hindi (ito) para mag-instigate ng takot [This was not done to instigate fear],” Vergeire said.
CNN Philippines stringer Lauren Anuma contributed to this report.
