Just last May, the Department of Health introduced a new COVID-19 case classification system, where, to differentiate new cases from old ones (usually from backlog), there will be a distinction between “fresh” (test results that came out and had been validated in the last three days) and “late” cases (test results that came out five days or older but were only validated recently).
More than 100 days in quarantine and over 45,000 cases later, DOH said it will introduce a new way of reporting COVID-19 cases starting July 10.
In an interview with ANC Headstart today July 7, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said they have been discussing this new way of reporting for the past two weeks, while also trying to look at their data. “By July 10, we would be introducing our new way of reporting cases where there would be no fresh and late cases anymore.”
Under this new system, instead of focusing on fresh and late cases, DOH will put out numbers of additional cases, which would highlight the active cases instead of the cumulative total.
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“We should highlight the active cases because these are the remaining cases that we need to monitor, that we need to manage,” the health undersecretary said.
Vergeire defined these active cases as individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 still in hospitals, quarantine facilities or at home and have yet to be classified as recovered or dead.
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An epidemiologic curve will also accompany these figures, said Vergeire, “to show people when the disease really started, the onset of illness of these individuals who tested positive.”
At a virtual press briefing today, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said he still believes that the country is winning against COVID-19 despite the increase in the number of cases. As of writing, there are 46,333 cases with 12,185 recoveries and 1,303 deaths.
Roque said “Buhay pa po tayo, karamihan sa mga nagkakasakit, at sa akin po dapat ikatuwa yan.”
Header photo screen captured from DOH Laging Handa virtual briefing
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Writer: CHRISTIAN SAN JOSE
