Another COVID-19 patient in Baguio comes out into open to warn contacts

BAGUIO CITY– A balikbayan vacationing in the city, who tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) came out into the open Monday, March 30, to warn all those he may have come in contact with, and advised them to take the necessary precautions to keep them free from the viral infection.

Rafael Serrano, 59, of Amistad, Camp 7 here, who is on vacation from New York, United States, was the fourth patient to respond to Mayor Benjamin Magalong’s call to save lives by disclosing their identities, to speed up contact tracing and help stop the spread of the virus.

He started to feel the symptoms of the viral disease COVID on March 16 after he arrived from Bangkok, Thailand on March 12.

He went to several establishments in the city on March 16, and even attended a family celebration on March 19.

He went for physical therapy at the St. Louis University Hospital of the Sacred Heart on March 20 to 22, and was admitted at the Baguio General Hospital on March 27.

His results indicating that he was positive for COVID-19 came out last March 28.

The City Epidemiological Surveillance Unit team from the City Health Services Office has rounded up persons he had interacted with in those occasions, and continues to encourage others who were around him from March 14 to undertake self-quarantine.

Magalong appealed to the other patients to do the same as their contribution to the city’s multi-pronged efforts to contain the contagion.

A local health worker and a couple from Las Pinas City earlier decided to lift the cloak on their privacy, and disclosed their identities to allow health authorities to trace the persons they may have had contact with.