The highest number of deaths due to COVID-19 was recorded on April 9 wherein 401 patients succumbed to the disease.
According to a study by the ABS-CBN News Data Analytics Team, 84 percent or 8 out of every 10 deaths were new cases in March and April alone.
“Hindi na talaga ito tulad ng reporting dati na puro backlogs na from a few months ago or even backlog from 2020. Majority ay nangyari these past few weeks lang,” said Edson Guido, head of ABS-CBN data team.
“Nakikita nga natin na ito na ngayon ‘yong resulta ng mga spike ng mga case,” he added.
But more disturbing is that 175 of the deaths were mild cases and 2 more were asymptomatic.
“Posibleng hindi naa-update ‘yong tagging ng mga active cases from mild to severe or critical, no? Even in previous days eh, mas marami ring namamatay na mild at recovered,” said Guido.
The Department of Health (DOH) explained that COVID-19 did not automatically cause mild and asymptomatic cases.
It is said that the number of COVID-19 deaths is also included even though the cause of death is different.
DOH explains death patients with mild COVID-19
“Maari na ang ikinamatay nila ay hindi COVID kung hindi ‘yong kanilang underlying illness dahil may mga pasyente na tinatawag nating inadvertedly positive,” said Dr. Anna Ong-Lim of DOH technical advisory group.
“Ibig sabihin, ginagamot natin sila para doon sa kanilang pinakaproblema, pero para ma-admit sa ospital ay kinakailangan natin na i-test sila and doon lang natin natutuklasan na positibo pala sila,” the doctor explained.
According to Ong-Lim, mild and asymptomatic cases can also lead to critical or severe cases.
Meanwhile, more than half of the total number of COVID-19 in the country are from the workforce, based on data from the Department of Health (DOH), which shows that 515,993 of the total more than 800,000 cases are aged 20 to 49 years.
“Most of them are workers who go out every day and go home to their loved ones after,” said Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.
Despite this, most of those who die from the virus is in their 50s and older.