Heart attack is still Normin's top killer, DOH-10 exec says

AS of the third quarter this year, most Filipinos in Northern Mindanao died from heart attacks, according to the record released by the regional Health department today.

"Heart attack or myocardial infarction is named as the number one cause of death in northern Mindanao," DOH-10 regional director Adriano Suba-an said.

Dr. Suba-an said as per DOH-10 record, like a thief in the night, heart attack disease quietly sneaks into the  homes and hospital beds in the region.

Subaan said that among the other leading causes of death minus COVID-19 in the region include cancer of all types, pneumonia, hypertension, cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, hypertensive heart diseases, chronic renal diseases, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory failures.

During the Normin COVID-19 Task Force press briefing, in terms of mortality, Subaan said the hospitals and local government units (LGUs) are mandated to monitor such and submit reports to DOH-10 quarterly.

Suba-an said an annual report will be produced by January 2021 and this will provide the complete details as to the top leading causes of death in the region throughout 2020 aside from COVID-19.

Compared to national data, the causes of death in the country are now a combination of non-communicable and infectious diseases, according to Subaan.

As for post-mortem swabbing, Suba-an said "such is done to determine how to manage or bury the dead body."

He however stressed that COVID-19 testing is designed for living persons. 

"The virus will die along with the confirmed COVID-19 patient," said Subaan.

Moreover, DOH reported that suspected or probable COVID-19 patients who died while waiting for their results are going to be considered as confirmed cases when they are handled. 

As of November 17, there are a total of 5,902 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in northern Mindanao, wherein 4,590 have recovered, 162 have expired, and 1,150 are recovering.

In terms of the region's Critical Care Utilization Rate, the region has 35.46 percent utilization of isolation beds, 17.50 percent utilization of mechanical ventilators, 35.36 percent utilization of Temporary Treatment and Monitoring  Facilities (TTMF) Isolation beds, and 53.51 percent utilization of TTMF COVID-19 ward beds, and a case doubling time of 18 days. (Recthie Tolinero/PIA10)