QC gov’t taking care of resident who tested positive for COVID-19 UK variant
MANILA, Philippines — The city government of Quezon City in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH) is closely monitoring the case of a resident who tested positive for the B117, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) variant discovered in the United Kingdom.
Following the detection, the City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (CESU) has conducted contact tracing on the resident’s close contacts upon his arrival such as the health workers at the isolation facility where he was brought, as well as the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) that brought him from the hotel to the isolation facility.
The CESU is waiting for the DOH to submit the list of passengers who were on the same flight as the patient from Dubai to trace passengers who may be from Quezon City.
The patient, a 29-year-old male real estate agent, was tested on January 7 upon arrival from Dubai through Emirates Flight No. EK 332 and thereafter stayed at a hotel as part of protocol.
The day after, it was confirmed he was COVID-19 positive.
His sample was sent to the Philippine Genome Center. On the night of January 13, the city government and the city health department were informed that he has the so-called United Kingdom variant.
Since January 8, he has been staying at a facility where he remains up to this day for treatment.
He left the Philippines on December 27 on a business trip to Dubai with one companion. His female companion tested negative upon arrival.
The patient and his companion tested negative before leaving the Philippines, and tested negative as well upon arrival in Dubai.
As an added precautionary measure, the patient’s immediate household contacts have been brought to an isolation facility where they were also tested.
The CESU also initiated heightened surveillance in the community of the resident to determine the presence of clustered cases.
“We have to remain cautious and vigilant to avert the spread of this new variant. What is important is we take care of the resident, and make sure we don’t sow panic in the community,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said.
Belmonte also stressed the need to intensify practicing minimum health standards and report all symptoms immediately, following the confirmation of the new variant in the city.
