Pangasinan still MERSCoV-free
LINGAYEN–Pangasinan remains free from cases involving the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus (MERSCoV), according to the Provincial Health Office (PHO).
Dr. Anna de Guzman, PHO chief, reported on May 7 that the nine persons from the province who were quarantined for one week in a national hospital were found negative of the virus.
Two were overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Calasiao town who arrived from Saudi Arabia on board Etihad Airways flight 0424 last April 15, the same flight plane taken by a male nurse, the first to be suspected of being a carrier of MERSCoV.
The seven others who were quarantined were family members of the two OFWs, identified through contact tracing.
The male nurse was reportedly exposed to a Filipino patient who died from the disease in the hospital where he worked, was also diagnosed to be negative of MERSCoV.
No passenger who arrived in the Philippines via the Etihad flight was found positive of the dreaded virus.
Meanwhile, the PHO earlier issued a directive to the 14 government-owned hospitals in the province to closely monitor all patients with MERSCoV symptoms.
Basic symptoms of MERSCoV include fever, cough, cold, sore throat, and difficulty of breathing, the PHO said.
“Dapat lahat ng papasok with these symptoms ay alamin kung OFW o may relative na OFWs na dumating from countries na affected ng MERSCoV,” De Guzman said, stressing that the virus is highly contagious.–Johanne R. Macob
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