Three Chinese nationals bound for Boracay were temporarily brought to Kalibo hospital for testing after they exhibited flu-like symptoms. Health authorities are alert in screening tourists due to the mysterious coronavirus now spreading in China and other parts of Asia.
Health experts of the Chinese government confirmed Tuesday the human-to-human transmission of the new coronavirus first detected in Wuhan City, China .
Dr. Cornelio Cuachon of the Aklan Provincial Health Office said that the Chinese tourists were spotted by the Bureau of Quarantine at the Kalibo International Airport coming from different provinces of China.
The airport has direct flights from different Chinese cities and provinces.
A 29-year-old woman was the first one referred to Dr. Rafael S. Tumbukon Memorial Hospital (DRSTMH) after landing at Kalibo airport on January 17. She was admitted overnight due to fever.
The second case was a three-year-old girl on January 18. The latest was a 65-year-old who was also referred to the hospital after arriving this Monday, January 20.
All of them were allowed to proceed to Boracay after testing.
“Blood samples were taken from them and the specimens were sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Manila for testing,” Cuachon said.
“We are planning to meet with different private hospitals in the province soon to orient to them what to do in any worst situations. We are ready,” he added.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are known to cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
The one spreading in China is a new strain of coronavirus that has not been previously identified in humans. Health authorities are still investigating the Wuhan seafood market believed to be the center of the outbreak.
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