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Submit to MERS-CoV exam, DOH tells Pinay nurse's fellow passengers
The Department of Health on Wednesday said it had started tracing and contacting the passengers who were on the same flights with the 37-year-old Filipina nurse who tested positive for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
"If they are one of those who boarded that plane, they should submit a laboratory check up for MERS-CoV," Bureau of Quarantine director Dr. Emmanuel Labella said in Susan Enriquez's report on 24 Oras.
The nurse came home to the Philippines via Saudi Airlines on Friday. She then flew to General Santos City via Cebu Pacific flight J997 on Tuesday, after staying at a colleague's home in Bulacan for a few days.
When the Filipina nurse arrived in the country last Friday, she showed no symptom of MERS-CoV, according to health authorities.
She also has a normal temperature according to the thermal scanner.
However, MERS-CoV has an incubation period of one to two weeks, and the nurse may not have the symptoms just yet when she arrived in the Philippines.
She also has a normal temperature according to the thermal scanner.
However, MERS-CoV has an incubation period of one to two weeks, and the nurse may not have the symptoms just yet when she arrived in the Philippines.
Dr. Cesar Hilario Anastacio, the quarantine bureau's station chief at the NAIA, said that the nurse should have declared that she was still waiting for the results of her check up in Saudi Arabia.
Further confirmation
Further confirmation
Health Secretary Enrique Ona said the Filipina nurse who was tested positive for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Saudi Arabia arrived in the Philippines on Friday with a Filipina colleague.
The patient was notified of her condition Tuesday noon and was immediately accompanied by personnel from the National Epidemiology Center to the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City.
The patient was notified of her condition Tuesday noon and was immediately accompanied by personnel from the National Epidemiology Center to the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City.
Ona said the specimen from the nurse, who was from General Santos City, had been sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) for further testing and confirmation.
"We should know the results today, siguro mamayang gabi. So parang kino-confirm na natin. However, positive na siya doon sa Saudi Arabia," Ona said.
New thermal scanners
Despite the incident, the bureau insisted that they did everything to prevent MERS-CoV from getting into the country. Aside from looking for all the passengers of those flights, they are also reinforcing their efforts to detect MERS-CoV and other diseases at airports.
Aside from having more medical personnel at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the authorities are also planning to purchase new thermal scanners to replace the old units.
When airline passengers arrive in Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), they need to pass through a thermal scanner to check their temperature.
They also need to submit a yellow card that shows their health declaration list. In the list, MERS-CoV symptoms such as fever, cough, and headache should be indicated.
The yellow card also contains the passenger's name, contact number, and the country where he or she is from. —Trisha Macas/NB, GMA News
They also need to submit a yellow card that shows their health declaration list. In the list, MERS-CoV symptoms such as fever, cough, and headache should be indicated.
The yellow card also contains the passenger's name, contact number, and the country where he or she is from. —Trisha Macas/NB, GMA News
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