APPEAL FOR CALM. Department of Health (DOH-7) medical officers Van Philip Baton and Shelbay Blanco answer media queries during a briefing on the health bulletin of a five-year-old Chinese boy from Wuhan, China who tested positive for a non-specific coronavirus, inside the Office of the Regional Director on Thursday (Jan. 23, 2020). Baton asked the public to stay calm and not to panic as the boy tested with non-specific coronavirus is now in stable condition. (PNA photo by John Rey Saavedra)
CEBU CITY – Health officials here on Thursday said the discovery of the coronavirus (CoV) strain on a five-year-old Chinese boy from Wuhan, China should not cause panic.
Dr. Van Philip Baton, medical officer of the Center for Health Development under the Department of Health in Region 7 (DOH-7), said they are still observing the child who “is currently stable and has no more fever, cough and other symptoms associated to 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV)" discovered in Wuhan in the Chinese Province of Hubei.
“The boy is still confined and under isolation while waiting for tests sent out to Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM),” he said, adding that the result of the swab sample sent to Australia for further test is expected to arrive before the weekend.
The boy was earlier tested negative of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-nCoV and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrom-CoV.
Baton declared that Central Visayas is free from the 2019 nCoV, saying the region has no confirmed case of the coronavirus strain that killed 17 people and infected 504 others since its outbreak in a seafood market in Wuhan.
The virus, reportedly, has spread to Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and, lately, in the US.
“What we have is a confirmed case of non-specific coronavirus (which) can evolve and infect humans then spread between humans pancoronavirus,” Baton said.
He also dismissed the possibility that the child has infected other passengers of the flight he and his mother took from Wuhan to Guangzhou and from Guangzhou directly to Mactan-Cebu International Airport, saying health authorities have found no more other coronavirus cases aside from the Chinese child.
He also said the mother has no fever and other influenza-like symptoms, but is isolated in a referral hospital here along with the boy.
Dr. Shelbay Blanco, medical officer of DOH-7, said personnel from the Bureau of Quarantine are now monitoring the people who had previous close contact with the patient starting his travel from Wuhan to Guangzhou and to Cebu through coordination with the Bureau of Immigration.
She said that the boy was infected with the non-specific pancoronavirus through droplet transmission from human to human.
DOH-7 investigation showed that the boy already suffering flu-like symptoms while in Guangzhou. Upon review of the thermal camera stationed at the MCIA Terminal 1, the boy’s body temperature was found to be normal.
Baton said when the thermal scanner detects high body temperature, a red or orange color will appear on the screen, and blue when it is normal. In the boy’s case, blue appeared on the screen, he added.
The boy, along with the mother, checked in at a condominium unit in the city and later was brought to a private hospital after the former complained of flu-like symptoms.
Baton said it was the private hospital that referred the boy and the mother to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center for proper treatment and isolation.
“The DOH-7 would like to remind the public to protect themselves against respiratory tract infections by maintaining good health through proper rest, diet, proper handwashing and coughing etiquette,” Baton said in a statement that he read during the press briefing at the DOH-7.
“Since the transmission is airborne, surgical masks can protect. However, it is not recommended for extended use,” Baton said.
He said also advised the people to avoid large crowds, do self-isolation when they get sick as well as immediately consult a physician in order to protect other people and the community. (PNA)
