A Brazilian family of three and a Taiwanese girl is being observed for coronavirus at a hospital in Puerto Prinsesa, Palawan after exhibiting flu-like symptoms. They were put in isolation as they had recently visited Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the disease that is fast spreading across the globe.
The couple's child, a 10-year-old boy, was found to have a fever while his father was found to have a sore throat. The boy was admitted to undergo a swab test.
A six-year-old Taiwanese girl was also brought to a Palawan hospital for symptoms of respiratory illness. According to a doctor at the hospital, the girl was reportedly recently in contact with a Chinese national from Wuhan.
Recently, a Chinese boy from Wuhan who landed in Cebu exhibited flu-like symptoms but tested negative for the new strain of the viral coronavirus.
The Department of Health (DOH) was able to track the family members of a Chinese man who tested positive for coronavirus in Hong Kong. The relatives flew to Manila from Hong Kong and are not suffering from any physical illnesses, according to DOH.
The new strain of coronavirus was found to be from the same family of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), a viral respiratory illness that in 2003 infected over 8,000 people and killed 774 people in Asia, the U.S., South America, Asia, and Europe.
The latest reports confirm up to 1,400 cases of the new coronavirus around the world, with dozens of people dead. The spread of the disease comes at a time when billions of Chinese are traveling across the globe to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
As of January 24, DOH declared the Philippines to be free of the novel coronavirus. The bureau has advised the public to "always practice hand hygiene, observe proper cough etiquette, avoid close contact with people manifesting flu-like symptoms, avoid contact with farm and wild animals, cook food properly, and adopt healthy lifestyles to mount immunity against infections."