MANILA - The first Filipino who tested positive for COVID-19 in the country warned against "ignorance and inaction" as he shared he insisted on getting tested for the disease after health workers initially did not see the need for it.

Carlo Navarro, 48, said in a Facebook post on Sunday he is the Philippines' patient number (PH) 4, "the first Filipino to be confirmed positive (of the disease) after a lull of more than a month, following the three Chinese travelers from Wuhan."

On Monday, Navarro, who has already been discharged while awaiting the result of his follow-up test, granted ABS-CBN News permission to publish his "COVID-19 experience," which he recounted on his Facebook account.

According to him, he felt ill on March 3, experiencing "chills and a low-grade fever of 37.7 C." That was seven days after returning from a five-day vacation in Japan with his family.

Navarro said he and his family wore masks and were "vigorously washing and rubbing our hands with alcohol," and wearing disposable latex gloves during their stay in Japan.

But on their 4-hour flight back home on Feb. 25, he was seated in front of a Filipino man "coughing vigorously." His wife and child sat together in another row.

"We suspect this is where I picked up the virus," he said, even as he and his family had their masks on the whole time.

Before the symptoms showed, Navarro said he did not report to work. And on the night that it came, he immediately submitted himself for testing.

The hospital, however, "did not see the need to test" him, saying "my symptoms were mild, and Japan is not a Covid-19 hotspot."

"I insisted. I had to insist! I was tested," Navarro said. And then, he was discharged and he went home.

His child and their helper promptly moved to his mother-in-law's place while his wife was in Lipa City at the time.

Two days later, on March 5, his fever was gone but he had muscle pains and a "bad cough." It was then he received the "frightening call" from the Department of Health.

"I was promptly whisked away by an ambulance to RITM (Research Institute for Tropical Medicine) in Alabang," he said.

"At this point, while in RITM, I prayed fervently to spare all of them," he said of the members of his household who promptly took the COVID-19 test. They were later found to be negative of the disease.

Navarro said that during his stay in the hospital for two weeks, "it was not the physical pain that is frightening," but "the psychological effect that made it difficult."

"I was vomiting endlessly and had diarrhea probably due to stress," he said.

He also acquired pneumonia, "was coughing profusely, and chills were getting worse by the day," until he was transferred to another hospital.

During his confinement, he "learned so many things which is probably why God put me to that test."

"I realized that ignorance and inaction will cause the virus to spread faster. That should anyone experience ANY symptoms, they should stay home and limit contact with others," Navarro wrote.

"It is easy to take the symptoms for granted. A cough. Sore throat. Muscle pains. One need not have a high fever to be COVID-19 positive. Looking at the DOH spreadsheet, one can even be totally asymptomatic."

He said "community quarantine is something we need to protect the people that we love," noting that "with several people unfortunately and sadly testing positive, it is clear that the virus has been spreading undetected for several weeks."

"When people are NOT tested, they can walk around and socialize thinking they just have a cold or slight malaise," he said.

Navarro said his immediate confinement shielded his elderly parents and senior household helpers, who are vulnerable to the disease, as well as his immediate family.

He added that his co-workers and all contacts were also tested by the DOH, after he disclosed his condition to his workplace. All have been cleared and are asymptomatic.

But as he acknowledged that many people cannot afford a lockdown because of the pandemic, he "made sure that all the hands that feed us and help us will be financially capable to handle issues like this in the future."

Two days before he was discharged on March 19, Navarro, who already had no symptoms, took another test for the disease. He told ABS-CBN News he has not been included yet in the DOH list of patients who recovered because of the pending test result.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the health department's current protocol allows patients to be sent home and finish their 14-day quarantine there if they are stable and have no more symptoms.

"Today, I am thankful for the prayers and well wishes of friends and family! I may not have responded to you at my darkest hours, but I will remember and will be forever grateful for you," Navarro said in his Facebook post.

He appreciated the most his wife and daughter for their "extraordinary love."

"She kept me company for hours and days to keep me psychologically and emotionally sane! She prayed with me profusely! She called on people to pray for me. I knew I married right!" Navarro said of his wife, Evie.

"We are still covering everyone and ourselves with prayer. So, God protect and bless us all," he said.

On Monday, the country's confirmed coronavirus cases soared to 462, with 33 resulting in deaths and 18 recoveries. Elsewhere in the world, 153 Filipinos also acquired the disease, of whom 86 have recovered and one died.

Over the weekend, another former COVID-19 patient, PH15, also shared his story of survival.

• ‘Mayroong pag-asa’: COVID-19 survivor shares tale of hope in recovery

- - with report from Kristine Sabillo, ABS-CBN News