First Filipino COVID-19 casualty was beautiful, healthy mom, says daughter

The daughter of the first Filipino to die of COVID-19 shared her grief on Facebook, saying she lost a beautiful mother and couldn't be by her side even in her last moments.

In a Facebook post on Thursday night, Liza Paqueo said the remains of her mother Nida had been cremated "without her loving family and friends around her."

"A few hours ago, my beautiful mother, Nida, was cremated. She died alone without her loving family and friends around her. She was cremated, alone, without ceremony or tribute," Liza said.

Her father, Liza said, is at a Manila hospital in stable condition and in quarantine.

"But he is in deep grief over the loss of his wife of 47 years—the love of his life," Liza said.

Nida, 67, was the 35th confirmed case of COVID-19 in the Philippines. She died at the Manila Doctors' Hospital.

The DOH said she had hypertension and diabetes mellitus before she was infected with COVID-19.

She succumbed to pneumonia.

“Our recent mortality had underlying medical conditions, making the patient extremely vulnerable to COVID-19,” the DOH said in a statement.

The DOH said she began developing COVID-19 symptoms on February 29 and was admitted on March 5.

Samples were taken from her on March 8 and sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine for testing.

The Manila Doctors Hospital said she died before it was confirmed that she had COVID-19.

She was the wife of 34th confirmed case, a 72-year-old resident of Makati City.

"My mother Nida Cortes Paqueo died shortly after her 67th birthday. She was healthy and fit. She went into the hospital on March 5 with localized pneumonia," Liza said.

"A couple of days later, my father was admitted into the hospital," she added.

It was on March 11, Liza said, when her mother passed away.

"On March 11, we also received the news that she had COVID-19. My father also has tested positive for COVID-19," Liza said.

US residents

Paqueo said she last saw her parents for more than a year ago as she and her brothers are currently in the United States.

"Kaming tatlong anak nila, ay naninirahan at naririto sa Amerika. Hindi kami nakadalaw noong nakaraang taon, at hindi rin kami makauwi ngayon dahil ipinagpayo ito ng aming ama, para sa kaligtasan ng lahat," Liza said.

Liza's father, according to reports, was the resource person who attended a Senate hearing last week.

Amid the loss of her mother, Liza expressed dismay over fake information circulating online regarding her parents.

"Masakit sa aming loob, mapanganib, at walang ikabubuti ang magkalat ng balitang walang katotohanan tungkol sa aming pamilya," Liza said.

"Kami ay nasa gitna ng kalungkutan sa pagyao ng aming ina. Ipinakikiusap namin sa inyo, na sumama sa amin sa pagdasal na sana ay gumaling ang aming ama," she added.

According to Paqueo, friends and relatives who had interacted with the patients have already been quarantined.

Despite this, she urged those who interacted with her parents from February 29 to March 11 to consult health authorities should they display symptoms of the virus.

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country rose to 52 on Thursday.

The Philippines has also raised Code Red Sub-Level 2 over the COVID-19 threat.

Metro Manila has been placed on community quarantine.

The World Health Organization has declared the spread of COVID-19 as a 'controllable pandemic'. —NB, GMA News