#COVID-19 Regional Updates

LUZON

SLMC starts convalescent plasma program for COVID-19 patients

ST. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) has started transfusion therapy for convalescent plasma to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients suffering from severe symptoms. In a statement, the private hospital said convalescent plasma infusion is used to reduce the viral load of severe COVID-19 patients by giving them antibodies that developed in the blood plasma of a survivor. SLMC said the convalescent plasma “has shown enough promise against COVID-19 that many hospitals have adapted it as a possible treatment for the disease.” Jennifer Rodrigues, a cardiology fellow from SMLC, is among those who donated their plasma. She agreed to give her plasma when she was asked by her department head if she is willing to participate in the program after recovering from COVID-19 and tested negative for the disease twice. “Donating plasma isn’t a bad experience, after all. It would take only an hour for the machine to extract the plasma. It’s not painful either. During the procedure I did not feel anything uncomfortable,” Ms. Rodriguez said. “If it could possibly help those who need, I’m very willing to donate,” she said. Ms. Rodriguez was infected after being exposed to a colleague who tested positive for COVID-19 after doing rounds. She was confined for 10 days. The hospital has partnered with Security Bank Corp. for the convalescent program, with the financial institution covering the treatment of patients who could not afford it. SLMC encourages COVID-19 survivors to donate their plasma to help those in severe conditions and increase the recovery rate. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

VISAYAS

In COVID-free Tacloban, mayor encourages businesses to open

MAYOR Alfred S. Romualdez of Tacloban City, among the areas that eased quarantine restrictions starting May 1, said he wants as many businesses as possible to reopen to jumpstart the local economy, but asked proprietors to set up health safety systems as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains a serious threat. “Let’s be smart about this… I am encouraging businesses that as much as possible, to open. If it were up to me, I want all (businesses) to open… as long as we have an understanding on what you will do about social distancing,” he said, speaking in mixed English and Filipino, in a streamed interview. “Come up with your systems in your businesses and present it to us… It is very hard if we keep waiting for government to keep issuing policies. So let’s use common sense… We don’t want the virus to spread because if that happens, then we’ll have to close your businesses,” he said. Mr. Romualdez issued new general guidelines on April 28 after the national government announced that the city will not be part of the localities where lockdown measures will continue until May 15. Tacloban City, the center of Eastern Visayas Region, had remained free from COVID-19 as of May 2. It has seven suspected cases, six of whom are in hospital while one is under home quarantine. The mayor also said he is counting on other local government leaders in the region to strictly implement their monitoring and quarantine systems to protect Tacloban. “It’s pointless, when you have positive in other towns locking down and Tacloban is also locking down because of that, I can’t do that,” he said, stressing the need to get economic activities going. The entire region had 13 confirmed cases as of May 1 afternoon, four of whom have recovered while the rest are in different medical facilities. There were 233 suspected cases, with 61 in hospital and 172 under home isolation. — MSJ

MINDANAO

Zamboanga City COVID-19 cases jump to 59 with 48 in city jail

CORONAVIRUS disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Zamboanga City jumped to 59 over the weekend after three personnel of the City Reformatory Center and 45 inmates tested positive. The spike was recorded after the release of test results from samples sent April 27 and 30 to the St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) in Metro Manila through Brent Hospital. The city government entered into an agreement with SLMC to speed up the turnaround of COVID-19 results. The city government, in a statement, said it is closely working with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology “to include providing resources and logistics to address the outbreak inside the city jail.” It added, “Actions have also been taken to facilitate the transfer of the women dormitory to avoid contamination of older PDLs (persons deprived of liberty) and those with underlying medical conditions.” Zamboanga City’s request to the national task force to extend its strict quarantine measures to May 15 was granted. Secretary Carlito G. Galvez Jr., Task Force-COVID-19 chief implementer, led a multi-agency government team that visited the city over the weekend to check on the situation, including a site inspection of three laboratories that will be operated as COVID-19 testing centers. These are the Zamboanga City Medical Center, Red Cross Center, and the Department of Agriculture’s regional diagnostic laboratory. — MSJ