The Manila Health Department is reassuring the public that there is no confirmed case of novel coronavirus in the city after posts circulated online reporting that a Chinese patient had been rushed to a hospital in Binondo.
The patient, a 27-year-old Chinese man working as a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) worker, had a fever and cough. He was brought to the Metropolitan Hospital on January 25.
He was found to be "negative on history of travel to Wuhan, China," with "no history of exposure to a host or positive case," said Manila City Health Officer Dr. Arnold Pangan. "As of the moment, the patient is well and does not have fever," Pangan added.
The novel coronavirus is 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 80 people dead from the novel coronavirus.
The Department of Health (DOH) 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."