THE number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus diseases (COVID-19) reached 8,212 on Wednesday with the addition of 254 new infections, according to the Department of Health.
The number of fatalities rose by 28, bringing the total to 558 deaths.
There were more patients who have recovered – 48 – raising the total to 1,023.
Among the confirmed COVID-19 patients, the DOH said 1,552 are healthcare workers, the DOH said. This means that 18.9 percent of the COVID-19 patients in the country are health workers.
Of the total infected health workers, 571 are nurses, 548 physicians, 97 nursing assistants, 60 medical technologists, 30 radiologic technologists, 18 respiratory therapists, 17 midwives, and 11 pharmacists.
The remaining 200 are barangay health workers, administrative aides, and utility workers, among others.
Of the healthcare workers with COVID-19, 32 have died, including 24 physicians and seven nurses.
The Philippines, among countries in the Western Pacific Region with COVID-19 cases, ranks fifth, after China, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea.
The disease which first emerged in China late last year has infected almost 3 million individuals in 213 countries and territories, and killed almost 205,000 persons.
FILIPINOS ABROAD
The Department of Foreign Affairs said 40 more Filipinos in 46 countries were infected with COVID-19, bringing the total to 1,644.
The number of additional is markedly lower compared to Tuesday when the DFA reported 209 new infections, the largest single-day increase in the past month.
Of the 1,644, the DFA said 1,011 are still undergoing treatment while 434 have recovered.
The number of Filipinos who succumbed to the virus also increased from Tuesday’s 189 to 199.
The Americas remained as the most deadly place for Filipinos infected with COVID-19 with 115 deaths followed by Europe with 64, the Middle East and Africa with 18, and Asia and the Pacific region with two.
America also registered the most cases among Filipinos abroad with 468 cases, of which 243 are still confined while 110 have recovered. Europe came in next with 461 cases with 290 still recuperating while 107 have recovered.
Asia and the Pacific has 365 cases with 159 still recuperating while 204 have recovered. There were 350 cases among Filipinos in the Middle East and African regions with 319 still confined in various hospitals while 13 were discharged after recovery.
“The updated figures show that the total recoveries of 434 remains higher than the number of deaths at 199,” the DFA added.
MASS TESTING
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, in a briefing, advised private companies that are planning to conduct mass testing among their employees to adhere to established guidelines, and not to test all workers.
“We want to emphasize that we should all be guided by the DOH’s revised guidelines on expanded testing for COVID-19, which provides that those to be prioritized for testing are individuals with symptoms and have been exposed to probable or confirmed cases,” said Vergeire.
“We do not recommend testing to individuals without any exposure to COVID-19 patients,” she added.
She said such programs like the Project Antibody Rapid Test Kits (ARK) of private companies can be implemented only when the country’s testing capacity allows it. “If our system can already handle it, we can already include the asymptomatic and have had exposure to COVID-19 patients,” she said.
Under Project ARK, some 200 companies are preparing to conduct 1 million COVID-19 rapid tests among their employees by May. The private-sector initiative aims to help jump-start the economy by allowing businesses to reopen after over two months of the enhanced community quarantine.
Vergeire reiterated that rapid antibody test kits cannot be used as “stand-alone” tests to determine if an individual has COVID-19. “It has to be partnered with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests,” she said. — With Ashzel Hachero
