Patient with suspected MERS-CoV already transferred to RITM — DOH official

“Doon pa lang sa ER (emergency room) ay dinala na kaagad siya sa RITM. Finofollow-up nga namin kung nakuhanan ng specimen para ma-sure natin kung siya ay talagang MERS-CoV,” he added. (File photo: Research Institute for Tropical Medicine/Facebook)

A Department of Health (DOH) official on Wednesday, February 20, said a patient suspected of having Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection was already brought to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).

In a radio interview with DZMM, DOH-Calabarzon Director Dr. Edgardo Janairo belied rumors that the patient, who is an overseas Filipino worker (OFW), at the Laguna Doctors Hospital has a severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

“Hindi ‘yun SARS, kundi siya ay MERS-CoV. Suspect pa lang siya under investigation (It was not SARS, it is MERS-CoV. It is still a suspected case which is under investigation),” Janairo said.

“Doon pa lang sa ER (emergency room) ay dinala na kaagad siya sa RITM. Finofollow-up nga namin kung nakuhanan ng specimen para ma-sure natin kung siya ay talagang MERS-CoV (From the emergency room, he was immediately rushed to the RITM. We are following up if they got a specimen to confirm if it is really MERS-CoV),” he added.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), MERS is a viral respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus which was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012.

“Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause diseases in humans, ranging from the common cold to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS),” it said.

Janairo noted that SARS and MERS-Cov are both respiratory diseases, adding that SARS came from Hong Kong and China.

“Wala naman tayong SARS o MERS‐CoV sa Pilipinas. ‘Pag iyan ang kumalat, mahirap na kontrolin (We do not have SARS or MERS-CoV cases in the Philippines. If it spreads, it will be hard to control it),” he said.

Meanwhile, the Laguna Doctors Hospital, where the patient was first brought, said its ER is undergoing decontamination.

“As in all infectious cases, our hospital is practising all necessary precautions to avoid contamination. For the information of the public, there is no confirmed case of any contagious disease. All medical protocols are being observed by our hospital,” it announced on its Facebook page.

The Health official said those who interacted with the patient are under observation.

“Sila ngayon ang binabantayan para in any case na magkaroon sila ng pneumonia or respiratory disease ay kailangan i-isolate kaagad (They are being monitored so if in any case, they acquire pneumonia or the respiratory disease, then they have to be isolated immediately),” he explained.

Late last month, it was reported that a patient in Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center (GABMMC) in Tondo, Manila has a suspected meningococcal infection that also alarmed the public.

[READ: ER of Tondo hospital temporarily closed due to suspected meningococcal infection]