By: Marygan Denisse N. Alcala

MARCH 19, 2020 - Local health officials of Cagayan de Oro City confirmed two deaths due to possible COVID-19 infection.

Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) Medical Director Jose Chan stated on the 6th  Daily Press Conference on COVID-19 that the two patients, both females and residents outside the City, died from severe acute respiratory illness on March 18. They were initially patients under investigation (PUIs) and were among those waiting for the result whether or not they are positive for COVID-19

According to Chan, thy were not initially treated in NMMC; the first patient from a private hospital and the other one from outside the City.

“Kining duwa ka pasyente dili taga Kagayan ug kining duha gibalhin sa atung hospital sa Northern Mindanao Medical Center gikan sa lain hospital, (These two patients are not from Cagayan de Oro, they were just transferred here in Northern Mindanao Medical Center from other hospitals)” he said.

According to Chan, NMMC gave tight monitoring to the two SARI patients along with the other Patients Under Investigation (PUI). 

Should the two suspected patients tested positive for the virus, they would be the second and third recorded cases of fatality due to COVID-19 following first casualty in NMMC, a guy originally from Iligan City, on  March 13.

As of the press time,NMMC currently attends to 33 PUIs.12 patients have already tested negative for COVID-19 and have been discharged.