BAGUIO CITY – Regional Health Authorities disclosed that the number of Persons Under Investigation (PUIs) for the suspected dreaded 2019 Novel Corona Virus (nCoV) in the Cordillera rose to four following the voluntary submission of patients possession the symptoms of the viral illness.
Dr. Amelita M. Pangilinan, regional director of the Cordillera office of the Department of Health (DOH-CAR), said that the patients undergoing investigation are now quarantined in a local health facility and are now in stable condition while awaiting the results of the confirmatory tests that were submitted to the Manila-based Regional Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).
“We declared the patients to be in stable condition because they do not have any complications and we are just waiting for the confirmatory test results from the RITM to ascertain what viral infection were they able to contract,” Pangilinan stressed.
The DOH-CAR stated that 3 of the patients are females and 1 is a male aged, 2, 23, 27 and 57 wherein they all have history of travel to Hong Kong.
Further, she added that 2 of the victims were from Benguet and 1 case each from Baguio City and Mountain Province.
According to her, the 4 PUIs reportedly submitted themselves for testing and the required 14-day quarantine in the local health facility while awaiting their confirmatory test results that will be released by the RITM.
Pangilinan clarified that the 4 PUIs are not relatives and are not also Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) but they visited Hong Kong for a few days to spend a vacation.
The Health Official reiterated previous advisories for individuals suffering from fever, cough and colds and with history of travel to China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau to immediately seek medical attention for the nearest health facility and for them to subject themselves to self-quarantine to avoid further complications in the future.
Health Experts agreed to provide daily updates on the status of the PUIs and whatever results of the confirmatory tests that were done on them to serve as part of the agency’s massive information and education campaign to make people aware on the symptoms and treatment of the viral infection.
One of the previous advisories of the health department is for people to stay away from crowded places which prompted a number of local government to issue announcements that temporarily postponed the conduct of crowd drawing events and tourism-related activities in their areas of jurisdiction to prevent suspected infected individuals from unnecessarily spreading the dreaded illness.
Moreover, individuals were also advised to boost their immune system by eating the right kind of food and avoid smoking, drinking and fatty foods to prevent their health condition from being compromised once they contract the signs and symptoms of the dreaded viral infection which has caught the attention of health experts in the different parts of the world over the past several weeks since the issue cropped up in the social and mainstream media.
By Hent