Philippines' COVID-19 cases: Where, how and how old

The Philippines was rocked by a sudden surge in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases this month, with the number of infections steadily climbing to 52 on Thursday afternoon.

The country’s first three COVID-19 cases were all Chinese nationals with a history of travel to China, the epicenter of the pandemic.

After the Chinese patients tested positive for the disease on January 30, the Philippines went weeks without recording new infections until March 5.

The Department of Health (DOH) attributed this development to an improved surveillance system.

“‘Yong biglang pagdami ng kaso, ito naman po ay dahil sa maigting na surveillance na ginagawa natin sa ngayon,” Health Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said during a press briefing in which the DOH confirmed that COVID-19 cases doubled overnight.

The Philippines has also confirmed cases of local COVID-19 transmission, which is defined by the World Health Organization as instances “where the source of infection is within the reporting location.”

Patients’ profiles

The country’s first COVID-19 case is a 38-year-old Chinese woman who was married to Patient 2, a 44-year-old Chinese male.

Patient 2 became the country’s first COVID-19 fatality and the first death due to the disease recorded outside mainland China.

Patient 1, meanwhile, has recovered from the disease.

Patient 3 is a 60-year-old Chinese female who has since returned to China.

Patient 4 is a 48-year-old male Taguig resident with a history of travel to Japan.

Patients 5 and 6, a married couple residing in Cainta, Rizal, became the first two cases of local transmission in the country.

Patient 5 is a 62-year-old male who was previously reported to have severe pneumonia, diabetes, hypertension, and an acute kidney injury. His wife is 59 years old.

Patient 5 is believed to be a regular of a prayer hall in Greenhills, San Juan City.

Patient 7 is a 38-year-old Taiwanese male who has no history of travel but was exposed to another foreign national who also tested positive for the disease.

Patient 8 is a 32-year-old male Pasig resident who previously traveled to Japan.

Patient 9 is an 86-year-old American male residing in Marikina City with a history of travel to the United States and South Korea. He is married to Patient 29.

Patient 10 is a 57-year-old Filipino male residing in Quezon City.

Patient 11 is a 72-year-old male residing in San Juan City who also has co-morbidities or other medical conditions aside from COVID-19.

Patient 12 is a 56-year-old male living in Manila City with no travel history.

Patient 13 is a 34-year-old male resident of Quezon City. He also has a history of travel to Australia.

Patient 14 is a 46-year-old male residing in Makati City.

Patient 15 is a 24-year-old male Makati resident with a history of travel to the United Arab Emirates.

Patient 16 is a 70-year-old male married to Patient 17, a 69-year-old female with hypertension. They both have a history of travel to Indonesia.

Medical experts and local authorities believe that the couple visited prayer halls in Greenhills and Baclaran.

Patient 18 is a 41-year-old male with travel history to Taiwan. He is married to Patient 19, a 46-year-old asymptomatic female. They both reside in Pasig City.

Patient 20 is a 48-year-old male residing in Cavite with a history of travel to Japan.

Patient 21 is a 58-year-old female resident of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan with no travel history.

Patient 22 is a 51-year-old female resident of San Juan with no travel history.

Patient 23 is a 30-year-old female also residing in San Juan with no history of travel.

Patient 24 is a 52-year-old male resident of Quezon City. He has a travel history to Switzerland.

Patients 25 and 26 are both male repatriates from the coronavirus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship previously docked off of Japan.

Patient 25 is a 31-year-old resident of Negros Oriental while Patient 26 is a 34-year-old resident of Camarines Sur. They are both asymptomatic.

Patient 27, a 42-year-old female, Patient 28, a 69-year-old male, Patient 29, an 82-year-old female, Patient 30, a 69-year-old female, and Patient 31, a 28-year-old female, are all relatives of Patient 9, the American male residing in Marikina City.

Patient 32 is a 64-year-old male residing in San Juan with no known travel history.

Patient 33 is a 60-year-old male living in Makati with no history of travel.

The DOH is still validating the places of residence of Patients 34 to 49.

Patient 34 is a 72-year-old male with no travel history.

Patient 35 is the Philippines’ second COVID-19 fatality and first Filipino to succumb to the disease.

She was a 67-year-old female who died prior to receiving confirmation that she was infected with COVID-19.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri has confirmed that she was the wife of a resource person who attended a Senate hearing last week.

Patient 36 is a 53-year-old male confined at the Las Piñas General Hospital.

Patient 37 is an 88-year-old female admitted at the Philippine Heart Center.

Patient 38 is a 29-year-old male with a history of exposure to a known COVID-19 case.

Patient 39 is a 64-year-old male who is the first COVID-19 case in Visayas. He has a history of travel to Greenhills.

He is currently in critical condition at the Siliman University Medical Center, while five of his housemates have developed symptoms of the disease.

Patient 40 is Mindanao’s first COVID-19 case, a 54-year-old male currently confined at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center.

Patient 41 is a 75-year-old female admitted to the Makati Medical Center.

Patient 42 is a 51-year-old male with a history of travel to Taiwan.

Patient 43 is a 47-year-old male confined at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.

Patient 44 is a 70-year-old female admitted to the Makati Medical Center.

Patient 45 is a 27-year-old male with a history of exposure to a confirmed COVID-19 case.

Patient 46 is a 66-year-old female confined at St. Luke’s Medical Center Quezon City.

Patient 47 is a 53-year-old male also admitted to St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City.

Patient 48 is a 57-year-old male also currently at St. Luke’s Medical Center Quezon City.

Patient 49 is a 72-year-old male admitted at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center.

Patient 50 is a 69-year-old female resident of Quezon City with no travel history.

Patient 51 is a 26-year-old male with no travel history. He is also a Quezon City resident.

Patient 52 is a 79-year-old female with a history of travel to the United Kingdom. She is currently confined at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center.

Data released by the DOH on Friday night showed Patient 53 is a 30-year-old Filipino male confined at the Medical City.

Patient 54 is a 40-year-old Filipino male with no travel history. He tested positive on Thursday and is currently confined at the Ortigas Hospital and Health Care Center.

Patient 55  is a 59-year-old female who is currently confined at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center.

Patient 56 is a 41-year-old male confined St. Luke's Medical Center-Global City.

Patient 57 is a 65-year-old male. He is confined at the Medical City.

Patient 58 is a 45-year-old Filipino female with no travel history who is confined at the Medical City.

Patient 59 is a 27-year-old male who is admitted at the Makati Medical Center.

Patient 60 is a 49-year-old male. He is confined at the St. Lukes Medical center-Global City.

Patient 61 is a 70-year-old female confined at the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center.

Patient 62 is a 35-year-old female admitted at the Ortigas Hospital and Health Care Center.

Patient 63 is a 33-year-old Filipino male with no travel history. He is confined at the Marikina Valley Medical Center.

Patient 64 is a 32-year-old male confined at the Bataan St. Joseph Hospital and Medical Center. —with Joahna Lei Casilao/LDF/NB, GMA News