Another patient under investigation (PUI) for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) has died at a private hospital here.

The PUI died before the result of his throat swab test done at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) was released.

Assistant Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Liland Estacion, who is also the head of the province’s Incident Command System on Covid-19, confirmed Sunday in a telephone interview that the patient died at around 9:38 p.m. Saturday at the Silliman University Medical Center (SUMC) here.

The patient was a 39-year-old male from Barangay Poblacion 2 in this capital city. He was said to have pre-existing medical conditions.

Estacion said he was first brought to the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital last March 25 but was transferred to the SUMC on March 27, the same day throat swab samples were taken from him.

The man succumbed to acute respiratory failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to pneumonia.

He was labeled as a possible “high risk” Covid-19 patient, pending test results, and was also reported to have hypertensive cardiovascular disease and autoimmune bleeding disorder.

Two women, aged 40 and 59, both from Bindoy, Negros Oriental, who were also classified as PUIs and who died last week, tested negative for the virus, Estacion said.

She said they also had underlying medical conditions, such as hypertension.

Meanwhile, Capitol Public Information Officer Bimbo Miraflor said that based on a report from the Provincial Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (PESU) in the province, seven new swab test results of suspected Covid-19 cases were released Saturday.

All tested negative, while the province is also awaiting six more throat swab test results, he said. (PNA)