DOH Confirms Third Case of 2019-nCoV in the Philippines
The Department of Health has confirmed the third case of the 2019 novel coronavirus in the Philippines. The patient is a 60-year old woman who traveled from Wuhan, China, which is currently on lockdown, to Hong Kong, to Cebu, and then to Bohol where she went into a hospital for a checkup for her fever.
She reportedly arrived in the country on January 20 and was admitted in a Bohol hospital on January 22. She was officially diagnosed with 2019-nCoV a few days later, although this case was only revealed by the DOH today.
Samples of the patient taken on January 23 were tested positive for 2019-nCoV, but sampels taken on January 24 tested negative, implying that the patient built a natural immunity to the virus.
The patient has since been discharged, returning to China on January 31.
This is the third patient to be diagnosed with 2019-nCoV in the Philippines. The first patient was also a Chinese woman from Wuhan, although she is reportedly no longer manifesting symptoms. However, the second patient, the first patient’s companion, has died from the disease, becoming the first 2019-nCoV death outside of China.
There are still 133 cases under investigation in the Philippines for possible 2019-nCoV.
As of February 5, there are 24,551 reported cases of 2019-nCoV around the world, with 483 deaths and 910 recovered/cured cases.
