What treatment will nCoV-positive patients get?

There are no confirmed cases yet of novel coronavirus infection in the Philippines as of Wednesday but the Department of Health (DOH) assured the public that it has measures in place once one of the persons under investigation tests positive.

"We have our own isolation rooms. Remember, this coronavirus infection has no treatment, has no vaccines—the intervention is purely supportive," Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said in a press conference.

A patient positive for novel coronavirus should be kept isolated in a medical facility, he said.

Duque further said that health care personnel will make sure that persons infected with the new strain of coronavirus will get proper nutrition and enough hydration. Paracetamol and analgesics may also be administered to treat fever and pain.

As of Wednesday, 23 persons are under investigation in the country for possible novel coronavirus infection. Most are Chinese nationals, according to the DOH.

The infection that claimed 132 lives and infected almost 6,000 in China is caused by a new strain of coronavirus that has not been previously known among humans, according to the World Health Organization.

"There is no specific treatment for disease caused by a novel coronavirus. However, many of the symptoms can be treated and therefore treatment [is] based on the patient’s clinical condition," the WHO said.

"Supportive care for infected persons can be highly effective," it added.

Meanwhile, Duque assured that front-liners in the healthcare facilities will be provided with personal protective equipment to help them avoid contracting the virus, should it enter the country. — RSJ, GMA News