By ANALOU DE VERA
The Department of Health yesterday, Thursday, Jan. 30, confirmed the country’s first case of the 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV) involving a 38-year-old woman from Wuhan, China.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that test was performed by the Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory in Melbourne, Australia.
“The confirmed case arrived in the Philippines from Wuhan, China via Hong Kong last January 21, 2020. The patient sought consult and was admitted in one of the country’s government hospitals last January 25 after experiencing mild cough. She is currently asymptomatic,” said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III in a press briefing.
Health Undersecretary Rolando Enrique Domingo said that the patient is currently admitted at the San Lazaro Hospital in Sta. Cruz, Manila.
“We are working closely with the hospital where the patient is admitted and have activated the Incident Command System of the said hospital for appropriate management, specifically on infection control, case management, and containment. We are also implementing measures to protect the health staff providing care to these patients,” said Duque.
The Health department is in close coordination with the Bureau of Quarantine and the airline companies for the contact tracing of the patient’s co-passengers, said DoH Epidemiology Bureau chief Dr. Ferchito Avelino.
“What we did with BoQ is we requested for the flight details. Kung ano ‘yung mga flight carriers na sinakyan ng pasyente at saan pumunta – tinitingnan natin iyon,” said Avelino.
“That is after we have gathered the information from the patient as to what were the flights (she) took. Aside from that, we coordinated with the CHD (Center for Health Development)-Region 7 and we are looking at the places (she have) been to in Cebu and Dumaguete,” he added.
“At the community, we are looking at the establishment (she) stayed and advise the establishment owner to identify the employees that had been in contact with the patient and do the mandatory quarantine to observe them if they manifest signs and symptoms of respiratory infection,” Avelino added.
The DoH said that there are 29 persons under investigation for possible infection of 2019 nCoV since their monitoring started. One of the PUIs died at San Lazaro Hospital in Manila last Wednesday.
“Twenty-three PUIs are currently admitted and five have been discharged but are still under strict monitoring. DoH also reported one PUI mortality,” said Duque.
Meanwhile, the Health chief said he will “strongly recommend to the Emerging Disease Task Force a temporary restriction of travelers from the entire Hubei province of China.”
“But I believe that will still change…it could expand the number or increase the number of places depending on the assessment that is going to be done by the WHO (World Health Organization),” said Duque.
“We will be waiting for the assessment of the WHO and recommendation whether to add to the list some more places with a relatively higher burden of nCoV infection,” he added.
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