MANILA – The Philippines' first confirmed patient of the 2019-novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) also traveled to Cebu and Dumaguete, the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed on Thursday, January 30.
In a press conference, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said a 38-year-old Chinese patient from Wuhan, China has been confirmed to be the first case of nCoV in the country.
The Chinese woman arrived in the Philippines via Hong Kong on January 21 and sought consultation for mild cough and was admitted last January 25 in San Lazaro Hospital in Manila. The patient was considered "asymptomatic," meaning she doesn't display any fever or symptoms suggesting illness at this point, according to Duque.
During those times, the patient had traveled to Cebu and Dumaguete.
Officials are now on quickly doing "contact-tracking" to locate and track people who have been exposed to the patient.
Chito Avelino, director of the DOH Epidemiology Bureau, "For the plane, we do the work rules of 4 – that means, we need to identify four passengers in front, four passengers at the back, and four passengers on both sides [of the patient]. Then we contact these passengers and advise them accordingly."
They would also look into the places where the patient stayed to track people she was in contact with.
"And from there, do the mandatory quarantine to observe them if ever they will manifest any signs and symptoms of respiratory infection," Avelino said.
Meanwhile, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia orders the 14-day quarantine of all passengers from China arriving in Cebu.
While awaiting the message from Malacañang, Duque urged the public to remain calm and practice good personal hygiene and healthy lifestyle.
According to the World Health Organization, symptoms of the 2019- nCoV include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties.
Currently, 2019-nCoV has killed at least 170 and infected nearly 8,000, spreading from its epicenter in Wuhan, China to several countries in Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East.
As of January 30, here's the latest update on the confirmed cases and death caused by 2019-novel coronavirus:
Total Coronavirus Cases: 7,911
Deaths: 170
— Sally, The Summit Express
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| DOH holds press conference to confirm first nCoV case | Photo Courtesy: Twitter/DOH |
In a press conference, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said a 38-year-old Chinese patient from Wuhan, China has been confirmed to be the first case of nCoV in the country.
The Chinese woman arrived in the Philippines via Hong Kong on January 21 and sought consultation for mild cough and was admitted last January 25 in San Lazaro Hospital in Manila. The patient was considered "asymptomatic," meaning she doesn't display any fever or symptoms suggesting illness at this point, according to Duque.
During those times, the patient had traveled to Cebu and Dumaguete.
Officials are now on quickly doing "contact-tracking" to locate and track people who have been exposed to the patient.
Chito Avelino, director of the DOH Epidemiology Bureau, "For the plane, we do the work rules of 4 – that means, we need to identify four passengers in front, four passengers at the back, and four passengers on both sides [of the patient]. Then we contact these passengers and advise them accordingly."
They would also look into the places where the patient stayed to track people she was in contact with.
"And from there, do the mandatory quarantine to observe them if ever they will manifest any signs and symptoms of respiratory infection," Avelino said.
Meanwhile, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia orders the 14-day quarantine of all passengers from China arriving in Cebu.
While awaiting the message from Malacañang, Duque urged the public to remain calm and practice good personal hygiene and healthy lifestyle.
According to the World Health Organization, symptoms of the 2019- nCoV include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties.
Currently, 2019-nCoV has killed at least 170 and infected nearly 8,000, spreading from its epicenter in Wuhan, China to several countries in Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East.
As of January 30, here's the latest update on the confirmed cases and death caused by 2019-novel coronavirus:
Total Coronavirus Cases: 7,911
Deaths: 170
| COUNTRY | CASES | DEATH |
|---|---|---|
| China | 7,801 | 170 |
| Thailand | 14 | 0 |
| Japan | 11 | 0 |
| Hong Kong | 10 | 0 |
| Singapore | 10 | 0 |
| Taiwan | 8 | 0 |
| Malaysia | 8 | 0 |
| Macau | 7 | 0 |
| Australia | 7 | 0 |
| South Korea | 6 | 0 |
| USA | 5 | 0 |
| France | 5 | 0 |
| Germany | 4 | 0 |
| UAE | 4 | 0 |
| Canada | 3 | 0 |
| Vietnam | 2 | 0 |
| Cambodia | 1 | 0 |
| Nepal | 1 | 0 |
| India | 1 | 0 |
| Philippines | 1 | 0 |
| Finland | 1 | 0 |
| Sri Lanka | 1 | 0 |
— Sally, The Summit Express
