Nursing students contract COVID-19

Eighteen nursing students and an instructor who were about to have their duties at Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital in Bauko, Mountain Province tested positive for Covid-19.
Department of Health-Cordillera Senior Health Program Officer Karen Lonogan said investigation is ongoing to determine whether the 18 students and their instructor contracted the infection in Bauko or in their places of origin.
Lonogan said based on initial information, the 18 nursing students and their instructor were part of the 165 individuals who arrived in Bauko on Jan. 3 for their hospital duties as part of the requirement of their course.
As part of the protocols of the hospital where they were supposed to have their clinical duties, the team was subjected to swab tests.
“Their laboratory results released on Jan. 4 showed 19 of them are positive for Covid-19; 18 students and one instructor,” Lonogan said.
She said investigation is ongoing to determine the gaps or the reasons why the students were not tested first before their arrival to Bauko.
She however said the 19 individuals are fully vaccinated and were probably allowed entry by the local government units even without the presentation of negative RT-PRC test results.
She added the presumption was that the students should have been tested in their area of origin but since they are all fully vaccinated, the same requirement was waived.
They were only subjected to swab tests as it was a requirement by the hospital before they could start their clinical duties.
Lonogan said the 19 individuals are in isolation and the others were advised to go on quarantine.
“Luis Hora (Memorial Regional Hospital) is helping the local government of Bauko, especially since some of those who tested positive were reported to have started showing symptoms,” she said.
Coordination between Bauko and LGUs where the students came from were also being done as precautionary measures.
Lonogan said not all the students came from Baguio City.
“Some of them reportedly came from other areas and Baguio only served as their point of dispatch,” she said. – Jane B. Cadalig