KINUMPIRMA ni Health Secretary Francisco Duque ang unang kaso ng 2019 novel coronavirus sa Pilipinas.
“Today the DOH is confirming that a Chinese female student is positive for novel coronavirus 2019 after her lab results arrived from victorian infectious disease in Melbourne, Australia,” sabi ni Duque sa isang press briefing.
Sinabi ni Duque na base sa resulta ng laboratory test ng 38-anyos na Chinese na estudyante na dumating sa bansa noong Huwebes na positibo ito sa coronavirus.
Idinagdag ni Duque na ipinasok ang Chinese national sa isang pampulikong ospital noong Enero 25 dahil sa pag-ubo.
“The patient was also asymptomatic which means that the patient showed no signs of fever,” sabi ni Duque.
Ani Duque bumiyahe ang babaeng Tsinoy mula Wuhan, kung saan dumaan siya ng Hong Kong noong Enero 21 papuntang Pilipinas.
Nagpagamot siya dahila sa konting ubo noong Enero 25.
“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,” he said.
Kasabay nito, nanawagan si Duque sa publiko na manatiling kalmado.
“I assure the public that the Department of Health is on top of this evolving situation. We were able to detect the first confirmed case because of our strong surveillance system, close coordination with World Health Organization and other national agencies, and the utilization of DOH’s decision tool,” ayon pay Duque.
Base sa datos ng DOH, umabot na sa 29 pasyente ang inoobserbahan: 18 sa Metro Manila, apat sa Central Visayas, tatlo sa Western Visayas, o isa sa Mimaropa, isa sa Eastern Visayas, isa sa Northern Mindanao, at isa Davao.