Where can you get yourself quarantined, when you test positive for COVID-19?

More than half of COVID-19 patients who tested positive in the Philippines are in Metro Manila and as of August 6, the number for Metro Manila alone has reached 64,258.

According to a report on GMA Digital Special "Need to Know," the Commission on Population said almost 4 million Filipinos in the capital live in a 20 square meters space or smaller resulting in a higher chance of transmission within families.

If you have tested positive with COVID-19 and you don't want to get the rest of your family infected with the virus, there are several quarantine or isolation facilities available for asymptomatic patients.

As early as April, there are quarantine facilities built in the Philippines with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) partnering with private corporations to make some of their spaces as a mega quarantine center in Luzon calling it "We Heal As One center."

According to the Need to Know report, there are six mega quarantine centers in Metro Manila for its residents and Overseas Filipino Workers who flew back home.

Below are some of the quarantine facilities in the Philippines.

• World Trade Center: 502 bed capacity
• Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City: 294 bed capacity
• Ninoy Aquino Stadium: 112 bed capacity
• Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila: 98 bed capacity
• Philippine Arena in Bulacan: 300 bed capacity
• ASEAN Convention Center in Clark Pampanga: 150 bed capacity
• National Government Administrative Center in Tarlac: 688 bed capacity
• Alonte Sports Arena sa Laguna: 68 bed capacity
• Davao City UP Sports Complex: 128 bed capacity

According to the Need to Know report, free food, medicine, health care, and WiFi are some of the services that are offered free in mega quarantine centers.

"Inaasikaso naman po kami ng mga doctors. Sobrang saya po kasi makakasama ko na family ko. Almost 2 months ako [na-quarantine]," an OFW quarantined in Philippine Area said.

Another OFW piped in saying, "Sobrang saya. Parang naka-graduate ka ganun. Kasi syempre two months kami na stranded di ba, so struggle po. Pero okay naman inaalagan nila kami."

There are also quarantine facilities in cities which are called "Ligtas COVID-19 Centers." One stands in Filinvest Tent City in Muntinlupa.

Meanwhile, the report highlighted one of the biggest quarantine centers in the country, found in Taguig City, to have a whopping 5,000 bed-capacity.

"Oo wala pang cure, oo wala pang vaccine. Pero titigil ito pag yung virus hindi na po mabuhay sa tao. So magagawa lang natin yun kung yung may sakit itetest natin, ihihiwalay natin. Kaya napaka importante ng mga pasilidad na ito para nahihiwalay natin yung may sakit," Taguig Mayor Lino said.

The World Health Organization recognized having quarantine centers for asymptomatic patients as a big help to a country's health care system.

"Some countries have developed novel strategies in transforming public facilities and hotel accommodations into temporary isolation facilities for mild cases of COVID-19," WHO said. "These strategies have proven effective in supplementing the limited health-care resources more efficiently." 

South Korea is one of the countries that has effectively used the strategy implementing Community Treatment Centers (CTC) as quarantine facilities.

According to the Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal, CTCs have helped contain the  COVID-19 infections in Daegu, which is considered the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in South Korea in February.

The report said 80% of the patients who tested positive with COVID-19 are asymptomatic, which helped hospitals in Daegu giving them more space and accommodation for those with severe symptoms.

The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) says a big reason for the spread of the virus are asymptomatic patients under home quarantine.

"Mahirap i-quarantine sa bahay kapag wala siyang sariling banyo, wala siyang sariling space for isolation. Kasi ang hirap talaga; ma-contaminate mo ang buong family kung walang structure na pwede siya ma isolate," Department of Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said.

The Department of Health has set health standards to be followed in quarantine facilities. These include respective bathrooms for each patient, and if not possible, shared bathrooms should be regularly disinfected.

Quarantine facilities should also be headed by health workers.

One patient quarantined in a hotel in Marikina City said even though he has an extra room at home, he wanted to isolate himself elsewhere to make sure his family won't get infected.

"Well there’s food, breakfast, lunch, minsan may merienda, dinner. They can order online no, pwede kang magpa-grab or padeliver ng food dito sa front desk and they’ll bring it up," Antonio said.

Antonio said there are care packages from time to time given by the local unit government, courtesy of the mayor.

"Then you get your own thermometer kit [kasi] they ask you from time to time, tatawag sila doon sa phone to ask you, 'Can you monitor yourself?'”

Antonio said basic necessities are provided including water.

Because patients in quarantine facilities only have mild symptoms, they are not given any medicine. Instead, they are made to finish a 14-day quarantine.

"And then since medyo mild symptoms lang naman, check. Loss of taste lang nararanasan ko since I came here, [so] parang mino-monitor lang kami, temperature, so I think, ganoon yung first response ng LGU at this point sa mga katulad ko," he said.

Antonio shares that it's the patient's responsibility to clean his own room.

"So responsibility, ano talaga ito parang self-contained bubble na bahala ka dito diba, you have to," he said.

But not all quarantine facilities fare the same. Some facilities in Masbate and Camiguin do not follow the standards set by the DOH, in terms of sanitation and isolation.

According to DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeirie, quarantine centers in the country are almost reaching their full capacity or the "warning zone."

"TTMF utilization in the NCR, Regions 1 7 10 and 12 are 30 -70 utilization, or in the warning zone. The mega quarantine facilities namely ULTRA stadium, Quezon Institute, Rizal Memorial, PH arena and ASEAN are in the danger zone or more than 70% occupancy. In line with data given above, we reiterate the government's need to augment our human resources for health," she said.

The Philippines on Monday once again logged a record-high number of new COVID-19 cases after the DOH announced 6,958 new infections, raising the total to 136,638.

Of this number, 68,159 have recovered while the death toll climbed to 2,293. — Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/LA, GMA News