The Department of Health said they are looking into the onset date of illness of patients positive for coronavirus since the number of COVID-19 fresh cases seemed to increase this week, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Monday.
Vergeire made the response after she was asked if the increasing number of fresh cases was due to the eased quarantine protocols implemented nationwide. The “fresh” cases are those whose test results were released to the patient within three days from reporting time.
“We have to be cautious in interpreting our data. Kailangan rin natin tignan iyong weakness ng ating information system ‘pag nag-interpret tayo ng data. Tumataas iyong fresh cases the past days, oo. But this could be a function of reporting [on the part of laboratories] kasi ang basehan natin ay iyong timeline ng pag-release ng results,” Vergeire said.
(We still need to look at the weakness of our information system when we interpret data. The fresh cases are increasing in the past days, yes. But this could be a function of reporting [on the part of laboratories] because our basis is the timeline of the release of the results.)
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DOH checking increase of COVID-19 fresh cases
“Puwedeng iyong sample, five days ago na kinuha ng laboratory pero na-test lang nila three days ago. Kaya babalik tayo sa onset of illness kasi that would be the most accurate kung bago ba talaga [ang kaso], at ginagawa na natin ‘yan ngayon,” Vergeire added.
(It is possible that the sample was taken five days ago but was tested three days ago. So we need to go back on the onset of illness because that is the most accurate basis if the case is fresh and we are doing it now.)
Aside from fresh cases, the DOH is also reporting late cases daily, which are results released four days ago or more.
“Ina-analyze pa po natin bago tayo makapagbigay ng recommendation sa Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases,” Vergeire added.
(We are analyzing them before we could give a recommendation to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.)
The Philippines, as of June 8, has recorded 22,474 COVID-19 cases, 1,011 deaths, and 4,637 recoveries.