After recovering, Sonny Angara tests positive again for coronavirus
SONNY ANGARA. Senator Sonny Angara at the Senate. Photo from Henzberg Austria/Senate PRIB
MANILA, Philippines – Senator Sonny Angara, who had recovered from COVID-19 in early April, again tested positive for the novel coronavirus, he announced on his official Facebook and Twitter accounts on Saturday afternoon, May 2.
“While preparing to donate my blood plasma for a second time, my doctors, after the results of the initial antibody test taken before donating, had me take another swab test, which registered positive,” Angara said in a statement.
“My wife Tootsy has tested negative, which could be proof of what my doctors are positing that I am probably no longer infectious and that this latest positive result is probably picking up remnants of the virus,” the senator added. (The senator wrote about his recovery for Rappler: 'This is our generation's war: Sonny Angara on being a coronavirus patient')
The Senate is set to physically reconvene for its regular session on Monday, May 4. Angara said he will not attend Senate sessions in person so as not to pose a risk of transmitting the virus.
Senators are working to amend rules to allow sessions to be held through teleconference after the official resumption on Monday. Angara is counting on this to be able to attend sessions from home.
He and members of his household “will follow the usual quarantine procedures as a precaution,” the senator said.
Angara was first tested for the coronavirus on March 16, and his results came out positive on March 26. He said he had mild fever, cough, headaches, and general weakness.
By March 30, the senator said he was recovering from COVID-19, and on April 6, he tested negative and was released from hospital.
“It was hard being isolated from my family before when I tested positive. I felt so much joy and happiness when I was cleared and was able to kiss and hug them again. Now I'm back in isolation. I am hopeful that soon our lives will return to normal,” Angara said on Saturday.
Pimentel ‘recovered’
Two other senators earlier tested positive for COVID-19 – Juan Miguel Zubiri and Koko PImentel.
Zubiri recovered from the disease on April 12.
Pimentel sparked public outrage when it was discovered that he went shopping at a grocery store in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig on March 16, and brought his pregnant wife to a private hospital in Makati City on March 24, when he was already showing symptoms of COVID-19.
He said he only found out he was positive for the virus when he was already at the hospital, and he left the premises afterwards.
On Saturday, May 2, Pimentel said he “believes” he has “recovered” from the disease as his staff told him, but he told reporters to ask the Department of Health whether that was “already official.”
“Mahirap na magkamali. (I could be wrong.) Although I think I am covid-free already. [My swab was taken on] March 20. It is already May 2. That has been 44 days already. That's already 3 14-day quarantine cycles!” Pimentel said in a message to reporters.
“Since I am still alive, the sense is that the virus has already run its course, if this s a “normal” coronavirus,” he added.
Pimentel said he wants to attend Senate sessions, but he “will listen to medical and scientific advice, too.” – Rappler.com
