Members of the Bacolod medical community are mourning the death of a surgeon hit by COVID-19 who passed away Monday, April 12, despite having being vaccinated for the virus.
Dr. Julian Rizaldy Raca Jr., 57, was hit by COVID-19 but had comorbidities, Dr. Chris Sorongon, Bacolod Emergency Operations Center deputy for medical data and analysis, said.
Raca had received two doses of Sinovac vaccines.
“His cause of death has nothing to do with his vaccination, it is not secondary to the vaccine he received. It’s actually COVID and it is due to the complications brought about by his comorbidities,” Sorongon said.
Dr. Hector Gayares, in a Facebook post on the passing of Raca, said “COVID-19 has victimized another frontliner.”
Raca is believed to be the first Bacolod-based doctor to have died after being hit by COVID.
“We will not only miss his bubbly laughter and stories, but more importantly his generous spirit , his kindness and compassion. He is a par above the rest on these character traits and he is an inspiration to us,” Gayares said.
Other doctors described him as a good person, a caring friend, and a patient mentor.
Gayares said Raca died from COVID-19 but was also comorbid as he was hypertensive and diabetic.
Sorongon said it is very clear in their information education campaigns that if one is vaccinated fully and has no comorbodities or underlying vulnerabilities, one will not suffer from severe COVID-19.
One will most likely be asymptomatic or suffer mild COVID, he said.
If one has comorbidities the vaccine can lessen the impact of the virus but it is important to seek early consult, he said.
Meanwhile, in Toboso town, three health care workers tested positive for COVID -19.
Two of them had received their first dose of Sinovac vaccines, Toboso Mayor Richard Jaojoco said.*