Boy, 7, tests positive for COVID-19 in Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines  — A seven-year-old boy tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease, bringing the tally of confirmed cases to seven in Zamboanga peninsula, a health official said here.

Dr. Joshua Brillantes, Department of Health assistant regional director, said the patient received his test result Wednesday from the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM).

The 7-year old boy is the third case in Zamboanga del Sur with six other COVID-19 cases in Zamboanga City, Brillantes said.

Brillantes said the young patient, a native of Dumalinao town, Zamboanga del Sur, had a travel history to Iligan City last March 14 to attend the burial of a relative. He returned the following day to his hometown.

Brillantes said the boy, who has history of asthma, experienced colds on March 19 and had fever and cough, prompting the parents to bring him to a private hospital in Pagadian City for consultation. He was transferred to Zamboanga del Sur Medical Center, the referrel center for COVID-19 cases, and was isolation.

The health official said the other six COVID-19 patients in Zamboanga peninsula are mostly in stable condition and are waiting for the next round of their test results. 

Brillantes said the condition of the 30-year-old COVID-19 patient, who gave birth via cesarean delivery in Zamboanga City Medical Center a day after she tested positive, has also recuperated.

He said the baby, who was already brought home, was also in good condition without any symptoms but still placed under monitoring.

“Hopefully, if all results will turn negative we can already transfer them to another quarantine area so that the referral hospitals will be eased (from patients),” Brillantes said.

Meanwhile, health authorities continue to monitor at least 208 persons under investigation and are tracing the people who were in close contact with the patients in the region, Brillantes added.