PUERTO PRINCESA CITY—A patient under investigation (PUI) has died without being tested for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), local authorities said Sunday.

Dr. Dean Palanca, assistant city health officer (CHO), said that the deceased PUI, a 61-year-old male local city resident, died on Friday (April 3) without being tested for the deadly disease.

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“He was brought and admitted at Ospital ng Palawan (ONP),” Palanca said.

The PUI, who has no travel history or exposure to other COVID-patients, was initially diagnosed with pneumonia and heart problems.The patient was reclassified as a PUI based on the protocol set by the Department of Health (DOH) because of his severe acute respiratory illness (SARI).

“Sa algorithm ng DOH, pwedeng i-identify as PUI kaya pinayuhan ang pasyente at pamilya nito na ilipat sa isolation room at kunan ng swab para sya ay ma-test (According to the algorithm of DOH, he could be classified as PUI which is why the family was advised to transfer him to an isolation room and swab be taken for testing),” he explained.

However, the family refused the recommendations and decided to take the patient home against medical advice. The patient was taken home by the COVID-transport team of the City Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO).

The PUI was “ambulatory and is good condition” two days after his hospital discharge, according to the quarantine officer who visited his place. However, the patient died one day after the said home visit.

Palanca also said the deceased was already buried.

The deceased PUI, who was a known smoker, had other comorbidities such as hypertension and respiratory disease.

Meanwhile, Dr. Audie Cipriano, chief of medical professional staff of Palawan provincial hospital, said that the doctors and nurses who had direct contact with the patient have been placed under quarantine “for precautionary measure”.

The local authorities urged the public to cooperate on the contact tracing now being done by the CHO.

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