By SITTI SHEIBA NY-CASAN

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY: A 68-year old patient from Marawi City was diagnosed positive with the COVID-19 virus on Friday, bringing to a total of two COVID-19 positive patients currently confined in the state-owned Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) here.

In a press briefing on COVID-19 update, Dr. Jose Chan, medical director of NMMC, the only government referral hospital involving infectious diseases in the region, said that the patient was admitted to the hospital on April 9, 2020.

Chan said the patient was already seen with symptoms such as cough and that he is diabetic too.

He said that the patient came from Marawi City, Lanao Del Sur, has no travel history but has an exposure with his son who has just arrived from Manila.

It was learned that the son is still in Marawi City and the health authorities are looking his whereabuts.

Chan said the patient is in stable condition, but doctors are closely monitoring because the patient sometimes complained of difficulty in breathing.

The admission of suspected COVID-19 patients considered as Persons Under Investigation (PUI) at the NMMC has declined for the past weeks, leaving a total of only six patients.