DOH warns against co-morbidities as cause of COVID-19 deaths
DAVAO CITY, March 26 (PIA) – One of the leading causes of deaths of COVID-19 patients is the incidence of co-morbidities along with being infected by the said virus. The Department of Health (DOH) strongly reminds the public that individuals who have pre-existing medical conditions should observe strict hygienic practices.
According to the Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Roy B. Ferrer, the public should be aware that individuals who have pre-existing medical conditions are in danger of easily contracting COVID-19 and would be put in life-threatening circumstances due to their compromised immune system.
“Some patients who died have co-morbidities so that is a strong indication, especially for people who have chronic diseases, that they have to be careful so that they will not be infected by COVID-19 because if you are immuno compromised that virus will easily get in,” Dr. Ferrer said.
Recent observations from government health professionals have determined that there is a considerable amount of COVID-19 patient deaths that have pre-existing medical conditions which developed into cases with comorbidities.
For example, a 64 year old patient from Negros Oriental who was tested positive for COVID-19 died last March 15 of a co-morbidity of end-stage renal failure coupled with that of being a kidney transplant patient. Another confirmed case of a 58 year old Filipino male from Lanao Del Sur with a history of travel from Malaysia who died because of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) secondary to COVID-19 with pre-existing diabetes melitus.
The Chief of hospital for the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) Dr. Leopoldo J. Vega discussed that it is important to have to separate patients in different medical institutions to effectively enable SPMC to secure the well-being of both non-COVID patients and quarantined patients.
“Actually what we’re looking at is that we have separate institutions which are actually operational to serve the non-COVID [patients] and the main hospital which is the main base for the COVID-19 areas with several of our intensive care units,” Dr. Vega said. (PIA XI/Kevin Caro)
source https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1037382