Recovery of 2 nCoV patients in Philippines shows most cases from China are mild —Duque

The recovery of two of the three Chinese nationals who tested positive for novel coronavirus in the Philippines shows that cases from China are mild, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Tuesday.

"Ito ay nagsasalamin na 'yung mga ulat mula sa China, mga 80% ng mga pasyente, mga kaso mild. Mukhang ganito din ito... Mild ang kanilang sintomas na ipinakita," he said in an interview on Unang Balita.

On the other hand, 16% to 20% of the cases in China have shown severe respiratory illness due to the virus, he added.

Most of the severe cases were those above 60 years old and with underlying medical conditions.

The Philippines' first confirmed case of novel coronavirus infection, a 38-year-old woman from China's Wuhan City, got discharged from the hospital after testing negative twice to the virus.

Her partner, a 44-year-old Chinese man, unfortunately died and became the first fatal case outside China.

Meanwhile, the country's third confirmed case was a 60-year-old woman who traveled to Cebu and Bohol from Wuhan City. She also recovered and was able to return to China.

The death toll in China climbed to over 1,000 on Tuesday while more than 42,000 have been infected. —Dona Magsino/KBK, GMA News