Girl, 14, dies after testing positive

PALO, Leyte — A 14-year old girl, who tested positive for the coronavirus, has died at a government referral facility even as COVID-19 cases in Eastern Visayas breached the 1,000 mark.

The Department of Health (DoH) in Eastern Visayas, on Tuesday evening announced 38 new COVID-19 cases in the region, bringing to 1,035 the total number of cases since the monitoring started with 704 recoveries and three deaths.

DoH regional information officer John Paul Roca said the case of the 14 years old is not yet recorded as a COVID-19- related death since the agency has yet to receive an official report from the hospital which will be the basis of a “death review.”

If found to be COVID-19 related, she will be the fourth and the youngest fatality of the killer virus in Eastern Visayas.

The patient, a resident of Brgy. San Policarpo, Calbayog City, was admitted at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC), the regional referral facility for COVID cases on 2 August 2020 for severe acute respiratory infection.

She was first brought to a hospital in Calbayog City last 25 July where she stayed for seven days due to complaints of fever, cough and vomiting.

Hours after her discharge on 1 August, the patient experienced difficulty of breathing which prompted re-admission to another local hospital.

After a thorough assessment, the patient was brought to EVRMC on 2 August but died the following days, a few hours before her PCR-based test that showed her positive of COVID-19 is out.