4 NEW PUIs. The Department of Health 8 (Eastern Visayas) on Friday (Feb.7, 2020) released its latest situational report on the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Four more persons in the region are under investigation after their recent travel to China where the virus originated. (Photo courtesy of DOH)
TACLOBAN CITY -- Four more persons in Eastern Visayas are under investigation after their recent travel to China, where cases of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) continue to rise.
In a press conference here Friday, Minerva Molon, director of the Department of Health (DOH) 8 (Eastern Visayas), said initial sample specimens of the new all-female patients under investigation (PUIs) had been collected and they were waiting for the second batch of samples before sending these to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Muntinlupa City for testing.
One of the new PUIs is a 38-year-old Filipino worker in Zhengzhou Henan, China who went home for a vacation and arrived in Leyte on February 2. She experienced palpitations and difficulty breathing, though she has a known history of asthma.
Another is a 31-year-old Filipino with travel history to Hong Kong on January 26. She was previously categorized as a person under monitoring (PUM) but was considered a PUI after exhibiting fever and dry cough.
A 36-year-old female is the second American PUI in the region. A resident of Shanghai, China, she traveled to Leyte on January 23 and sought medical attention on February 4 due to colds, occasional cough, and chest discomfort.
The youngest among the new PUIs is an 11-year-old Filipino who traveled to Hong Kong on January 16 to 20. She arrived in Tacloban on January 25 and developed a fever on February 2 that lasted for a day.
Overall, the region has confined a total of 11 PUIs, two of whom were discharged after testing negative for the virus, while one was discharged after completing the 14-day isolation period with no symptoms.
The health department also reported seven PUMs who had close contact with the PUIs. They have been advised to do self-quarantine and avoid crowded places.
“We are under code white and we assure that all infection and prevention control measures are strictly implemented and followed, especially in the isolation areas,” Molon said.
Code white alert status means government-owned and DOH-retained medical facilities must be ready and should preposition their personnel and supplies or equipment.
Molon also reminded the public to avoid posting and sharing unverified information on social media to avoid misinformation and panic.
The DOH advised everyone to practice frequent hand washing and cough etiquette and avoid unprotected contact with people suffering from any acute respiratory disease, as well as farm and wild animals. (PNA)
