.jpg)
While the enhanced community quarantine has helped slow down the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), cases in the country are still on the rise — as of this writing, 9,223 individuals have tested positive for the virus.
According to a recent report by the Department of Health (DOH), around 75 percent of the patients exhibit mild symptoms while nine percent are asymptomatic (no symptoms). Among the asymptomatic cases is Atty. Jaye de la Cruz-Bekema, a mom of one and the Chief Legislative Officer of Senator Risa Hontiveros.
In a public Facebook post shared yesterday, May 2, 2020, Jaye writes that had it not been for a medical emergency, she would not have known that she was positive for the disease. On April 25, the mom suffered a miscarriage. Before being treated, she was tested for COVID-19 as part of the hospital’s protocol.
Jaye shared that her chest X-ray came out clear, so she was confident that she did not have the dreaded disease. “I even told the nurse (in my desire to avoid getting a long stick up my nose lol), ‘I’m sure I’m negative because I never left the house since March 13 and I have had zero contact with the outside world,” the mom writes.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWBut to her shock, her test results for COVID-19 came back positive.
In an interview with news program 24 Oras, Jaye says she never felt any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19. “Wala talaga. Kahit konting lagnat, kahit ubo,” she tells GMA reporter Victoria Tulad.
The other members of her household, which included her husband, son, and two helpers, also did not exhibit any symptoms. According to another report by ABS-CBN News, all of them have been tested for the virus and are under self-quarantine.
Jaye shares in the interview that only her husband would go out of the house for groceries and he would disinfect after coming home. Sometimes, they will have groceries delivered but these are disinfected as well.
“Sinusunod namin ‘yung protocols — naliligo siya [her husband], ‘yung damit niya ay nakatabi, ‘yung sapatos niya hindi pinapasok sa loob ng bahay,” she says. (Read how to properly disinfect yourself after a grocery run here.)
CONTINUE READING BELOWwatch nowIt is still unclear how Jaye contracted the virus. “Very early ‘yung research on how COVID spreads, so it can be anything,” she says in the interview.
According to the World Health Organization, “there is currently no confirmed case of COVID-19 transmitted through food or food packaging.” However, they emphasize that individuals who go out should avoid crowded places and to maintain physical distancing of at least one meter (three feet) at all times.
When grocery shopping, the WHO suggests sanitizing the handles of the cart or basket before use. It is also important to avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose. (Read how you can safely disinfect groceries here.)
Despite being asymptomatic, Jaye was advised by her doctor to self-isolate for 14 days and be tested again for COVID-19 after the quarantine period.
“Miscarriage aside, I feel strong and normal. I don’t know what will happen to me [in] the coming days but the fact is I’ve had seven full days of being positive with no symptoms,” Jaye writes in her Facebook post.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWBecause of her experience, Jaye is appealing for the government to consider mass testing. “Right now, our limited testing capacity only allows us to test those with symptoms and those with exposure, or those like me with a medical emergency. If I didn’t have a medical emergency, I would not be qualified for testing,” the mom writes in her Facebook post.
“If I can be positive — me who never went to any grocery and who was a paranoid pregnant germophobe — can you imagine how many asymptomatic carriers are out there? More to the point, can you imagine what havoc these blissfully-unaware asymptomatic carriers can wreak when allowed to mix with senior citizens, pregnant women, and the immunocompromised?" Jaye says.
She adds, “We have tested only around 75,000 individual cases in a country with a population of more than 100 million. Lifting the ECQ without drastically ramping up mass testing is mass slaughter of vulnerable populations. Our health care system will not be able to handle the surge.”
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWAccording to a report by CNN Philippines, the government has been conducting “progressive” expanded testing since April 14, where high-risk patients are being prioritized. Some local government units have also rolled out mass testing for their constituents. The DOH also hopes to improve daily testing capacity to 8,000 by the end of April to catch up on global COVID-19 measures.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOWIf you're the one assigned to go out of the house for essentials, click here for a 25-point checklist from a doctor that can help minimize the possibility of being a carrier of the virus.
For the latest news and updates on COVID-19, check out reportr.world/covid-19.
What other parents are reading
