Source: Pavel Mikheyev, Reuters
The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed on Thursday, January 30, the first case of 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV) in the Philippines.
The first detected nCoV patient is a 38-year-old Chinese woman from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, who arrived in Manila via Hongkong on January 21.
The patient came in for a checkup due to mild cough and was directly admitted to a government hospital.
"The patient sought consult and was admitted in one of the country’s government hospitals last Jan. 25 after experiencing mild cough. She is currently asymptomatic… which means she has no fever, and no other signs and symptoms suggesting illness at this point," he said.
The said patient is currently in an undisclosed hospital.
Meanwhile, health authorities have started tracking people who have been in contact or exposed to the patient.
Chito Avelino, director of the DOH Epidemiology Bureau, said that the patient have also traveled to Cebu and Dumaguete.
The 2019-nCoV has quickly spread from China to several countries in Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East. Reports say that the virus has killed at least 170 and infected nearly 8,000 people.
In the Philippines, there are 23 other individuals who are confined in hospitals and are suspected containing the virus, while 5 have been discharged under strict monitoring, Duque said.
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