BATANGAS, Philippines — A 47-year-old radio broadcaster in Lipa City has succumbed to COVID-19 after more than two weeks of trying to recover from the coronavirus disease.
Zeus Corneja, a radio broadcaster of Big Radio 98.5FM based in Lipa City was pronounced dead on arrival at NL Villa Hospital past midnight on Thursday
due to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome.
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Corneja's radio station manager Jenna Rodrigueza said in a phone interview that Zeus was admitted to Metro Lipa Medical Center on August 9 after experiencing shortness of breath.
She said she and Corneja had returned from Mandaluyong, where they had two-way radios repaired, on July 31. She said they both reported symptoms like cough and colds, diarrhea and body pain by August 1.
"We didn't get a swab test when we got the symptoms, until Zeus got weak and he was rushed to Metro Lipa on August 9," she said in Filipino.
Rodrigueza said she tested negative for the virus on August 10. She and Corneja were both unvaccinated against COVID-19, she also said.
Media workers are considered essential workers and are in the A4 category of vaccination priority but problems with supply have slowed inoculation, especially in areas outside the National Capital Region.
In a survey of more than 200 journalists conducted by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines in March, half of respondents said they are not entitled to holiday pay, hazard pay, and health insurance. Fifty-five percent also said they do not receive overtime pay.
Nearly 40% do not have a health card while 35% said their employers have not provided them personal protective equipment. Some respondents said they could not afford to go to the hospital when they were infected with COVID-19.
No beds available
Rodrigueza said Corneja stayed in the hospital's emergency room for 10 days because of a lack of available rooms. "On the eleventh day, they were told by the Department of Health that they can move to an isolation facility."
However, they were forced to bring Corneja home because there were no beds available at the isolation area.
Cornejas' condition worsened until his oxygen levels dropped.
Corneja, a resident of Barangay Antipolo del Norte in Lipa City, was a radio broadcaster at Big Radio FM for three years.
His remains were cremated on Thursday.