WFH Call Center Agent Who Tested Positive for COVID-19 Patient Reveals Identity to the Public

Another resident who has tested positive for the coronavirus disease in Baguio City has decided to reveal her identity to the public to help in the city’s contact tracing efforts by sharing her experiences prior to testing positive and give awareness regarding the disease.

Joan May Dumlao works as a call center representative and is one of the recently confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in Baguio City. According to Dumlao, she has been in a Work From Home (WFH) arrangement since March.

Dumlao submitted herself to a swab test on August 12, 2020 at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) after exhibiting fever the day before. Her results confirming that she has become one of the COVID-19 cases of the city came out the following day, August 13, 2020.

Dumlao’s whereabouts

Dumlao stated that because she worked from home and has never visited their call center site since March, the only times she would go out was running essential errands on her rest days. Being an asthmatic might have made her more susceptible to the disease, she adds.

Ms. Dumlao’s Full Statement

Good day my beloved Kailyans!

I am Joan May Dumlao. A recent confirmed positive case of Covid-19 here in Baguio. I am a call center representative but have been working at home since March of this year, never visited the site since then.

I am sharing my identity and story to the public for proper awareness and for everyone to be reminded again that this enemy that we face today is really, really very dangerous.

I had a fever on August 11, 2020 so I submitted myself for swab test the next day at BGHMC and the result came positive on August 13, 2020.

I do not have a lot of activities outside our home for I am on WORK FROM HOME arrangement. I only go outside on my rest days to run essential errands. Nothing else. My family and friends also know that I am very meticulous on cleanliness, especially to myself. I religiously followed health protocols when outside of residence. Always took a bath as soon as I get home. It is still a mystery to me how I got this virus. But I guess one of the possibilities is that I am asthmatic. We know that people with health conditions are more vulnerable to be transmitted by this virus.

May I also call out to those who think that I am irresponsible in any way. Let me just reiterate, I am always a law-abiding person, followed all the rules and made a habit of making sure cleanliness in myself and in our household are being observed. If only I knew sooner that I already am a carrier of this virus, I should have voluntarily isolated myself from other people, especially from my family. My parents have co-morbidities and I fear for their safety. We have four children at home. I will not put my family at risk. They mean a lot to me.

May we all be well-informed, stop the hate and instead of discriminating people like me, let us start helping each other. Nobody wants to be in this situation. Stop the blame game. As our LGU said, “ We work and heal as one”

I also would like to thank the people who show love and support to me and my family. To the people who include us in their prayers. To the people who reached out to my family to give help. We will never forget you! You give us strength and courage! We also pray for you!

I also apologize to the people I’ve contacted. I do not wish the same fate to other people. May this virus be gone and may we, the people of Baguio be safe from any sickness and threats.

Do not let your guard down. Take care everyone!

-Joan May Dumlao via PIO-Baguio

City’s Move to Encourage COVID-19 Patients to Disclose Identity

As a move to strengthen the contact tracing efforts of the city, starting March 2020, Mayor Benjamin Magalong has been appealing to patients who test positive in the City of Baguio to reveal their identities so health authorities can facilitate earlier identification of possible contacts, isolation, testing, disinfection and medical interventions, which can, therefore, help prevent the COVID-19 disease from spreading in the city. In the same post, the office has also shared steps that are undertaken involving the disclosure of confirmed COVID-19 patients’ identity to the public.

Patients are given full freedom on whether they want to disclose their identities and are not forced if they opt not to. Those who agree to reveal their identities are then asked to sign a consent form and are given the full freedom to decide on what kinds of information they want to disclose with respect to their right to data privacy before the disclosure piece is released by the local government through the PIO-Baguio page and mainstream media.

SOURCE: PIO-Baguio