First Filipina MERS-CoV patient out from hospital

Department of Health (DOH) spokesperson, Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, and Acting Health Secretary Janette L. Garin announce that the first case of MERSCoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus) in the Philippines, a Filipina nurse, had been discharged from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) on Friday (February 20, 2015) during the press briefing at the SMX Convention in Pasay City. (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)

MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) said the Filipina nurse, the first case of MERSCoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus) in the country, has recovered and discharged from the hospital.

“We’re happy to announce that our index case (Filipina nurse) had been discharged (from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) where she was confined),” said DOH Acting Secretary Janette L. Garin in a press briefing held at the SMX Convention in Pasay City,

Garin said the patient was discharged after the series of confirmatory tests yielded “negative results” from sputum and rectal swabs.

Garin did not exactly said the exact time when the patient was discharged from the hospital, saying it was done either late night of Thursday or early Friday morning.

She said that while the patient was already discharged, she would still need to comply with the 10-day home quarantine period as additional precautionary measure without limiting the movement of the patient in their home.

“Just to be sure we will still be observing her within that period in compliance with the health protocol,” she said.

She also said that the patient was also advised to seek immediate treatment consultation in case that other health-related symptoms occurs even after the monitoring period to ensure both her safety and the baby inside her womb.

The patient was 6 to 7 weeks pregnant.

She arrived back to the country from Saudi Arabia last Feb. 1 without any symptoms of MERSCoV.

However, on Feb. 2, she sought medical consultation upon noticing that she was displaying certain symptoms, prompting the hospital in Laguna to refer her to RITM.

It was in RITM where she was declared positive of MERSCoV last Feb. 10

Upon confinement at RITM, she was continuously monitored and given treatment based on the symptoms she exhibited as there is no exact cure and even anti-virus developed for MERSCoV.

Her other co-passengers were located through contact tracing and testing to ensure possible local transmission.

The hospital (Evangelista Medical Center) where she was also treated earlier agreed to be temporarily closed and be under disinfection standard of DOH and World Health Organization (WHO).

She further added that the two other patients who were previously being monitored by DOH as possible MERSCoV cases were also discharged and declared clear from the virus of MERSCoV.

“To date, there is no active case of MERSCoV in the country ” but then we still have to be vigilant and on guard,” the Lady Health Chief reminded.

She further added that continuous vigilance is needed since there are many Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) working in the Arab Peninsula or in the Middle East Region.