The record high death rate from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) last Monday was mostly cases from July and August as deaths are not immediately reported, an infectious disease expert said on Tuesday.

According to Dr. Benjamin Co, chief of UST Hospital?Pediatrics Infectious Diseases Department, 77 percent of the reported deaths were mostly from July and August.

Co said patients who succumbed to COVID-19 and suffered from severe or critical symptoms take a ''prolonged course'' as they are hospitalized for an average one month.

“Note, however, that we started having increasing cases in July and August because deaths do not get reported immediately or severely ill or critical patients take a prolonged course,” Co told The Daily Manila Shimbun in an email.

“Hence, we should expect the deaths to be reported 1-2 months after the cases are recorded,” he added

On Monday, the Department of Health (DOH) reported 259 new COVID-19 deaths, higher than the previous high of 186 deaths set last September 12.

Asked for comment, the DOH has yet to reply on the matter.

Based on DOH's Case Bulletin on Tuesday, the country has 269, 407 COVID-19 cases with 207,352 recoveries with 4,663 fatalities.

There were 34 reported deaths while patients who survived COVID-19 reached 395.

New cases came in at 3,544 with the National Capital Region accounting for 690 cases. Ella Dionisio/DMS