Authorities monitoring if patient in Cebu may be coronavirus case

January 21, 2020

A five-year-old Chinese boy in a Cebu hospital is being monitored if this will be the first case of the 2019 novel coronavirus in the country. 

In a press conference, the Department of Health (DOH) said it is watching a boy, who came from Wuhan, China and shown  throat irritation, and cough prior to entering the Philippines.

"Samples from the patient were first tested at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and yielded negative results for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-related Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related Coronavirus (SARS-CoV)," said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. 

"However, the samples tested positive for the non-specific pancoronavirus assay, thus the specimen has been sent to Australia to identify the specific coronavirus strain," he furthered. 

DOH Epidemiology Bureau (EB) Director Ferchito Avelino said there are six known strains of the coronavirus, including MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. 

"It could be any of the other four strains of coronavirus, and not necessarily the 2019-nCoV," said Avelino. 

Duque said the results from the Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory in Australia are expected within 24 to 48 hours. 

Avelino said the patient arrived with his mother in Cebu City last January 12 for the purpose of "learning English". 

Duque said the patient is still experiencing cough, but is stable and has no fever. 

Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said passengers seated next to the patient were traced.  

"We immediately did contact tracing for those up to four seats away from the patient. They are showing no symptoms," said Domingo. DMS