The three individuals are now under close monitoring at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center.
Three individuals are under observation in Leyte province after manifesting symptoms of the 2019 novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV).
According to the Department of Health (DOH), the persons under observation are a 26-year-old mother, her seven-month-old child, and the mother’s 26-year-old sister-in-law. All of them came from a holiday trip in Macao to visit relatives and arrived in Tacloban on Jan. 29.
The family went straight to the hospital to get immediate medical care after both the mother and her sister-in-law experienced a mild cough while the child suffered a dry cough. They were transferred to the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC).
“The increase in the number of patients under investigation (PUI) in the region is due to the pro-active surveillance system of the region and increase of health-seeking behavior of the public with regards to the 2019-nCoV,” DOH Region 8 medical officer Carmen Garado said.
Seven others are still under surveillance for having close contact with suspected victims of the 2019-nCoV. They are required to check their body temperature regularly and observe flu-like symptoms while a medical professional is tasked to get updates from them.
Meanwhile, two others were already released from isolation in the province. First was an American male who worked in Wuhan City, China. He arrived in Tacloban last month to visit his girlfriend and daughter. The DOH released him on Feb. 1.
The second was a 30-year-old woman from Leyte who visited Hong Kong and Macau for a trip. Test results show she is free from the virus. She was discharged on Feb. 5. (RJ Espartinez)