Korean tourist in Aklan hospital for nCoV monitoring

KALIBO, Aklan – A tourist was admitted to the provincial hospital here after he experienced flu-like symptoms.

A 30-year-old South Korean, who had a travel history to Wujin City, China from Dec. 6, 2019 to Jan. 31, 2020, was referred to the Dr. Rafael S. Tumbokon Memorial Hospital (DRSTMH) on Feb. 5.
He was isolated as a precautionary measure for possible exposure to the 2019 novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019 n-CoV ARD). 

The South Korean stayed in a hotel upon his arrival here from his country on Feb.4.

Provincial Health Officer I Dr. Cornelio Cuachon Jr. said the specimen and blood samples of the said tourist were transported to Department of Health (DOH) Regional Office in Iloilo City on Feb. 6. The specimen and samples will be then sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Muntinlupa City for confirmatory tests.

Cuachon reiterated that no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus were reported in this province, despite it had six persons under investigation (PUIs) as of Feb. 4. 

The PUIs are those who have a fever or a respiratory infection with a history of travelling to China within the last 14 days, or a record of exposure to the confirmed novel coronavirus.

Two patients, a 23-year-old Filipina flight crew and a 17-year-old Hong Kong citizen who were admitted in the same hospital have been reported to be negative of the coronavirus based on their RITM tests.

They will be discharged by the attending doctors after they finished observing the 14-day quarantine period.

To address admission of the PUIs, the two isolation rooms in the old medical ward in the hospital that could accommodate 12 patients will be ready next week. 

Cuachon also urged local government units to set up Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERTs) for a more coordinated response mechanism against the transmission of the deadly virus. 

Meanwhile, Director Marlyn Convocar of the Department of Health-Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH-WVCHD)  said that the DOH is closely working with LGUs and government agencies to intensify case detection and surveillance as well as infection prevention and control measures.  

On Feb. 5, the DOH-WVCHD announced there is no positive case of nCoV in the region.(With a report from Akean Forum/PN)

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