DOH: 1 out of 5 COVID-19 cases in the Philippines are health workers

One out of five or nearly 20 percent of the confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 in the Philippines are healthcare workers, according to the Department of Health.

In a situationer released Sunday, the DOH said 1,758 health workers have contracted COVID-19.

Of this number, 34 have succumbed to the respiratory illness while 296 have recovered.

The remaining 1,428 are active cases, meaning they are undergoing treatment or home quarantine.

However, the DOH also noted that “decreasing numbers of healthcare workers infected with COVID-19 can be seen in the past days.”

The World Health Organization earlier said that the number of COVID-19 deaths among health workers in the Philippines was “worrisome” when compared to other countries in the Western Pacific region. 

A team of medical experts from China had also noted that the long working hours and extended use of N95 masks in Philippine hospitals put healthcare workers at higher risk.

The Philippines has recorded 9,223 COVID-19 cases with 1,214 recoveries and 607 deaths as of Sunday afternoon.  — Julia Mari Ornedo/BM, GMA News