Rizal patient died before coronavirus infection was confirmed —hospital

An 80-year old female later diagnosed with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) died in Rizal, days after she was admitted for acute gastroenteritis.

In a statement on Sunday, the Angono Medics Hospital Inc. (AMH) said the patient from Taytay, Rizal was admitted on March 10, 2020, after complaining of diarrhea for four days.

Respiratory symptoms were then reported the following day, prompting the hospital staff to inform representatives of the Department of Health (DOH).

"Unfortunately, patient's condition continued to deteriorate, [and her] relatives opted to sign a waiver not to resuscitate the patient anymore, and she passed away on the fourth day," AMH said.

"DOH took nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs despite the patient's death to confirm suspicion," it added, noting that the confirmation arrived days later.

Earlier, the municipal government of Taytay, Rizal  confirmed two cases of COVID-19, including one fatality.

"We want to reassure the public, under DOH's guidelines, that we're doing all measures to ensure our staffs' and public safety. What we need right now is your utmost support and compassion, the same king that we have been giving to all our patients. We need you to be with everyone else in fighting COVID-19," it said.

Since 12 a.m. on March 17, the entire Luzon has been under enhanced community quarantine, and it will be so until April 13, 2020, restricting travel within the region in efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.

"Everyone here at Angono Medics Hospital Inc. (AMH), as a family, although just a Level 1 hospital, is bravely facing this battle as best we could," said AMH.  —Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/LBG, GMA News