By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – Mayor Marvin Malacon said on Wednesday that the female teenager who was initially considered as person under investigation (PUI) for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in E.B. Magalona, Negros Occidental was reclassified as a person under monitoring (PUM), after initial medical findings showed that she had Urinary Tract Infection (UTI).
The 16-year-old girl was initially considered as PUI after a clinic in Victorias City, where she underwent second consultation, made the recommendation due to her flu-like symptoms.
But Malacon said the teenager did not exhibit flu-like symptoms upon verification. He said the patient has a fever due to UTI but she was still advised to be confined to a hospital for more tests.
PUIs are patients with symptoms and with history of travel to China including Hong Kong and Macau and other infected areas and had exposure to a positive case.
PUMs are patients with no symptoms but with history of travel to infected areas and exposure to a positive case.
The mayor earlier said that the patient had fever even before she had close contact with Japanese students who arrived in the town for immersion on March 2.
The foreign students were already placed on quarantine even before they arrived in the town, he added.
“We will wait for the results of the other tests to come up with the final conclusion about her medical condition,” Malacon said.
Malacon said the patient’s elder sister and mother were also placed on quarantine.
The mayor said the people of E.B. Magalona have nothing to worry about because there’s no confirmed case of the deadly disease in the town.
Malacon convened barangay officials, Department of Education (DepEd), health officers, and representatives from the concerned government agencies yesterday to discuss their measures.
He said they have distributed supplies of alcohol and face masks to schools and offices as part of their preventive measures.
Meanwhile, Malacon also said that they are investigating persons who spread false information about COVID-19 in the town.
He said they will file charges against the persons behind the disinformation.
“We’ll trace them because they can cause alarm to the public,” he added.
He assured the people that there’s nothing to fear because the town is safe.
