106-Year-Old Lolos in Baguio and CDO Are the Oldest Filipinos to Beat COVID-19

Two 106-year-old patients from Irisan, Baguio City and Lumbia, Cagayan de Oro City just became the Philippines’ oldest Filipino COVID-19 survivors, local authorities of each city both confirmed on 20 Oct 2020.

The Baguio local, who originally hails from Aguinaldo, Ifugao tested negative in his swab test results on 20 Oct 2020. Spending a total of 13 days at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC), he showed mild COVID-19 symptoms that made him vulnerable to its severe effects.

Two days prior, on 18 Oct 2020, the centenarian from Lumbia was discharged after spending a whole month at two different hospitals in Cagayan de Oro. It was in the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) where he finally recovered from the virus despite experiencing comorbidities. He has since gone back to his residence.

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Oldest Filipino COVID-19 survivors a testament to Filipino resiliency, but virus still not to be taken lightly

“The centenarian now serves as an epitome of a COVID fighter in the City of Baguio and the Cordillera Region,” BGHMC said in its official Facebook page. “Despite all the difficulties during his admission, he was able to prove that age is just a number.”

According to the same post, Dr. Ricardo B. Runez Jr. — one of the hospital staff present during the survivor’s send-off — said that the feat is a testament to Filipinos’ resiliency and adaptation to the pandemic. But another staff member by the name of Dr. Thea Pamela T. Cajulao emphasised that this should not mean we should stop our prevention efforts. “Prevention is better than cure, but in instances that we cannot prevent it, early detection, treatment and isolation can help decrease the risk for mortality,” Dr. Cajulao said as reported by BGHMC.

“We are glad that this was possible,“ also remarked Cagayan de Oro City Health Office resident epidemiologist Dr. Teodulfo Joselito Retuya according to a report by the Philippine News Agency. He also noted how the Cagayan de Oro survivor’s case was a rare triumph given the latter’s age and comorbidities.

Also read: COVID-19 Philippines Travel Advisory for Filipinos & Foreign Visitors

Coronavirus situations in Baguio and Cagayan de Oro

As of this past Tuesday, BGHMC has dealt with 338 COVID-19 cases. The Baguio centenarian is now among the 259 patients who have recovered. Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus cases in Baguio City has reached 1,725 with 586 active cases, 1,118 recoveries, and 21 deaths.

On the other hand, Cagayan de Oro’s oldest Filipino COVID-19 survivor is among the 847 recovered patients in the city. It has recorded a total of 1,278 coronavirus cases since March 2020, with still 344 active cases and 57 deaths.

Featured image credit: Annie Spratt | Unsplash