MANILA- A soldier suspected of being infected with the novel coronavirus passed away on Wednesday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines announced Thursday.
Second Lt. Vince Magbanua was declared "dead on arrival" at the Norzagaray Municipal Hospital where he was rushed on the complaint of severe difficulty in breathing, AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said.
Magbanua on Tuesday was rushed to the hospital after complaining of difficulty in breathing and was diagnosed with acute bronchitis, Arevalo said.
"He was advised to return to barracks with medicines provided to him. He then observed self-quarantine," the military spokesman said.
As of press time, Arevalo said the AFP has yet to receive the report on whether Magbanua's death was a case of COVID-19.
Contact tracing and quarantine protocols however were already implemented in his unit assignment as a precautionary measure, Arevalo said.