Chinese being tested for coronavirus dies at San Lazaro

January 29, 2020

A 29-year old Chinese male, who is being tested for the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), Wednesday died at San Lazaro Hospital in Manila.

In a press confeence, San Lazaro Director Dr. Edmundo Lopez said the man died from pneumonia on Wednesday morning while awaiting results of his laboratory tests for the 2019-nCoV.

"Early this morning, at around 7 am, we have a person under investigation  who expired. He is not yet confirmed for nCoV," said Lopez. 

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the Philippines has no confirmed cases of nCoV infection.

He said the patient, who is from Yunan, China, was tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus after he was seen with anal warts and cervical lesions.

"The patient was seen with varying symptoms upon admission. He had cervical lesions, swollen lymph nodes, skinny, and has anal warts. He was tested for HIV and the screening tested positive," said Lopez. 

According to the Department of Health (DOH), the Chinese male is one of the 23 remaining persons under investigation awaiting laboratory test results.

The other 16 are awaiting test results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), while another six cases are awaiting confirmatory test results from the Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory in Melbourne, Australia. 

Four other PUIs have been discharged out of the total 27 suspected cases. 

"Our confirmed cases (for 2019-nCoV) is zero," stressed Duque. 

Duque said the DOH has expanded the evaluation tool for suspected 2019-nCoV patients by making travel history to Hubei Province as a basis instead of Wuhan City. 

"The revision in the evaluation tool includes this particular amendment: travel hsitory to Hubei. We have expanded the sphere of the area from Wuhan," said Duque. 

"It is in respose to the possibility that this virus may indeed enter the country," said Duque. 

Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said the testing reagents for the virus have arrived at the RITM. 

This means the six pending samples en route to Australia will be the last ones to be send abroad for confirmatory testing. 

"Hopefully, by Friday or Saturday, we can already do the testing there at RITM," said Domingo. 

As for the reported spike in prices of face masks due to the 2019-nCoV scare, Duque said they are considering imposing price control measures. 

"I have spoken to my director for pharmaceutical producs division and that is exactly the direction we will pursue," he said. 

Reports came out that N95 masks are being sold by as much as P130 due to the rise in its demand compared to its usual price of less than P100. DMS