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PGH coronavirus patients exceed initial bed capacity: official

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/news/07/07/20200423-covid19-plasma-donation-pgh-afp-2.jpg"/><figcaption>A nurse checks on a patient who has recovered from the COVID-19 coronavirus as he undergoes a procedure to donate plasma at a hospital in Manila on April 22, 2020. <em>Maria Tan, Agence France-Presse/File</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — The number of coronavirus patients at the Philippine General Hospital has exceeded its initial bed allocation for the respiratory disease, an official said Thursday.</p><p>The state-run hospital had allocated 130 beds for COVID-19 patients. It now has 172 coronavirus patients, including 145 with positive test results, 22 suspected carriers and 5 probable, said PGH public affairs coordinator Dr. Jonas Del Rosario.</p><p>This figure is the highest COVID-19 admission since PGH became a referral center for the disease in March, he said.</p><p>To accommodate virus patients, the PGH used &quot;buffer beds&quot; in non-COVID-19 wards, he said.</p><p>&quot;Talagang inaayos namin iyong pagkaka-arrange ng mga pasyente. Hindi puwedeng maghalo ang COVID at non-COVID,&quot; he told DZMM.</p><p>(We are fixing the arrangement of the patients. COVID and non-COVID patients cannot mix.)</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JsAiHKK3BnQ?enablejsapi=1"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Del Rosario said the spike in patient admission might be due to the Philippines&#x27; increased testing capacity and eased lockdowns.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/07/20/philippines-tests-800000-for-coronavirus-since-march">Philippines tests 800,000 for coronavirus since March</a></li></ul><p>The PGH as of Thursday only had 3 to 4 vacant beds in its intensive care unit. The hospital will only accept COVID-19 patients with moderate and severe symptoms, he said.</p><p>PGH&#x27;s supply of protective gear and medicines is &quot;enough&quot;, he added.</p><p>Less than 2 percent of its 5,000 workers were infected with coronavirus so far. They are recovering at the hospital, Del Rosario said.</p><p>He urged patients who had recovered from the disease to donate their plasma, in hopes that the donor&#x27;s antibodies will speed up the recipient&#x27;s recovery.</p><p>The PGH previously used plasma treatment only for patients with severe symptoms and would now try giving it to those with moderate symptoms. Interested donors may call hotline 155-200, said Del Rosario.</p><div><strong>— With a report from Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News</strong></div>

<p>The number of coronavirus patients at the Philippine General Hospital has exceeded its initial bed allocation for the respiratory disease, an official said Thursday.</p>

The number of coronavirus patients at the Philippine General Hospital has exceeded its initial bed allocation for the respiratory disease, an official said Thursday.