2 OFWs test negative of MERS-CoV after incubation

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PALO, Leyte — Two overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Eastern Visayas who were in the same flight with the Filipina nurse from Saudi Arabia have tested negative of Middle East Respiratory-Coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

The Department of Health (DOH) Eastern Visayas quarantined the two OFWs at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) in Tacloban City from Friday to Sunday.

“The quarantine period was only two days since they’ve been home for nearly two weeks. They have not shown any symptoms of the virus,” said DOH regional epidemiologist Boyd Cerro.

The health department field office here got the list of the workers from the region who had contact with the Filipino nurse last week.

“We immediately searched these two OFWs and talked to their family about the quarantine protocol,” he added.

The two male OFWs – from Leyte and Eastern Samar were discharged Sunday afternoon, completing the 14-day monitoring period. The test result was released Monday, indicating that both workers are negative of the virus.

The EVRMC has five rooms designed to isolate patients with suspected highly contagious diseases.

The isolation room maintained at the regional hospital had been used by the health department during the height of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause a range of illnesses in humans, from the common cold to the SARS. Viruses in this family also cause a number of animal diseases.