12 Omicron variant patients in Oro recover

TWO out of 14 confirmed Omicron variant infected residents of Cagayan de Oro City died due to comorbidities while 12 were certified recovered by the Department of Health (DOH), the City Health Office (CHO) said on Wednesday.

“The DOH released the results from their Philippine Genome Center last March 6 but the samples taken from these residents were done from Jan. 30 to Feb. 4 yet. The 14 consists of seven males and seven females, all local cases with ages ranging from two years old to 83 years old with a mean age of 42 years old,” CHO medical officer Dr. Ted Yu Jr. confirmed in Wednesday afternoon’s City Hall press briefing.

This brings to 61 the number of Omicron variant infected city residents of Cagayan de Oro City recorded since last January. Despite this, Cagayan de Oro City is placed under Alert Level 1 status from March 1 to 15 not only due to its declining Covid-19 cases but also its high vaccination rate of over 90 percent, the highest in northern Mindanao.

In his report to Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno, Dr. Yu said the Omicron variant infected residents are from barangays Lumbia (two), Balulang (two), Macabalan, Iponan, Bonbon, Bulua Bugo, Patag (one each) and two in Canitoan.

“About 11 of them were certified recovered from Feb. 7 to 19 while one tested negative RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction),” Dr. Yu said.

Two patients, one of whom is unvaccinated, died due to their comorbidities, Dr, Yu said.

“One sustained gall stone infection while the other was a regular dialysis patient. Of the 14 latest Omicron variant patients (11 certified recovered, one tested negative RT-PCR), about 53 close contacts were already identified and isolated,” Dr. Yu said.

The Philippine Genome Center conducts a random sampling of thousands of Covid-19 cases throughout the country and results are usually delayed for about a month.

“By the time their samples were sent to Manila (last January 30 to Feb. 4), these patients were certified recovered. But we are conducting surveillance of their close contacts,” Moreno said.

The discovery and confirmation of Omicron variant cases in the city coincided with a sudden spike in cases that came out early January and surged past February before going down eventually late last month. Both the CHO and Mayor Moreno credited the plunge in cases to single digits to the city’s high vaccination rate which sped up recoveries of the vaccinated patients. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)