Over 90% of COVID – infected medical frontliners have recovered – DOH

by Darryl John Esguerra, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 3 Aug 2020

MANILA, Philippines — Over 90 percent of medical frontliners in the Philippines who were infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have recovered, data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed.

A total of 4,576 health workers have defeated the infectious respiratory disease as of Saturday, August 1, according to DOH’s report released Sunday night.

This is 91.3 percent of the 5,008 total coronavirus infection among healthcare professionals.

The number of recoveries is 1,120 higher than last week’s data.

Two more medical frontliners, however, succumbed to the disease in the past week, bringing the total number of fatalities to 38.

A total of 394 others, meanwhile, are currently under treatment.

Among the top five medical professions with COVID-19 are nurses (1,734), doctors (1,100), nursing assistants (338), medical technologists (210), and radiologic technologists (119).

On Sunday night, President Duterte heeded the call of the medical community to revert Metro Manila under stricter lockdown measures to give them time to recuperate from exhaustion due to the continuous surge of COVID-19 cases nationwide, which already breached the 100,000 mark.

The President also approved the hiring of additional healthcare workers, the grant of risk allowance for private-sector health workers treating COVID-19 patients, life insurance, free accommodation, free transportation, free and frequent coronavirus testing.

He likewise agreed to give up to P15,000 pesos to every healthcare worker who will be infected with COVID-19.

Nationwide, 103,185 COVID-19 cases have so far been recorded, with 2,059 deaths and 65,557 recoveries.

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