Chinese boy in Cebu cleared of coronavirus: DOH

January 25, 2020

The Department of Health (DOH) reported late Friday night a five-year-old Chinese boy in Cebu City had tested negative for the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that originated from Wuhan, China. 

Citing results from the Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory in Melbourne, Australia, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said it is a welcome development amid continuing spread of the 2019-nCoV worldwide. 

“This is indeed very welcome news to ease the Filipinos’ growing concerns," said Duque in a statement. 

Last Tuesday, the DOH announced that the boy, manifesting pneumonia-like symptoms and with a history of travel from Wuhan, China, was admitted in a Cebu City hospital and was placed under investigation for being a suspected 2019-nCoV case. 

After yielding a positive result for the pancoronavirus assay, oropharyngeal and serum specimens from the child were sent to Australia for identification of the specific coronavirus strain. 

Duque said the government will remain vigilant over the threat of the 2019-nCoV. 

"We will continue to monitor the developing situation and ensure mechanisms to contain the threat of the 2019-nCoV,” said Duque.

Earlier in the day, Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo disclosed that they are looking at another suspected case of the 2019-nCoV in the Philippines. 

A 36-year-old man in Tacloban City showed symptoms of having respiratory infection while also having come from Wuhan, China. 

He said the patient was working in Wuhan and arrived in the country last January 17 or 18.

Domingo said unlike the five-year-old boy in Cebu, the man from Tacloban has yet to be tested positive or negative for any virus. DMS