ILOILO City – Three Boracay Island-bound Chinese visitors who entered the country through the Kalibo International Airport were placed under quarantine in Kalibo, Aklan.
The airport’s thermal scanner detected them with fever, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
The thermal scanning of arriving people in airports is part of DOH’s measures to prevent the entry of a new coronavirus that has made people sick in China’s Wuhan city in the central Hubei province since December. The illness has pneumonia-like symptoms.
The three Chinese nationals were referred to the Dr. Rafael S. Tumbukon Memorial Hospital (DRSTMH), said Dr. Glenn Alonsabe, DOH regional epidemiologist.
The first to be quarantined, according
to Dr. Cornelio Cuachon of the Aklan Provincial Health Office, was a 29-year-old
Chinese national. This was on Jan. 17. The second was a three-year-old girl on
Jan. 18.
The most recent, yesterday, was a 65-year-old Chinese.
“The 29 years old Chinese was advised to stay overnight at the DRSTMH while the young girl was considered an outpatient. The 65-year-old patient, on the other hand, is currently being checked at the hospital,” said Cuachon.
Throat swab specimens were collected from the three foreigners then these were sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Manila for analysis.
It may take time before the results would be known, said Cuachon.
“The quarantine procedure is part of our alert system to protect the public,” said Alonsabe.
The Kalibo International Airport services flights direct from China.
The region’s other international airports are the Iloilo Airport in Cabatuan, Iloilo and Boracay Airport in Caticlan, Malay, Aklan.
According to the World Health Organization, the 2019-nCoV, as it[s been labelled, is understood to be a new strain of coronavirus that has not previously been identified in humans
Coronaviruses are a broad family of viruses, but only six (the new one would make it seven) are known to infect people
Scientists believe an animal source is “the most likely primary source” but that some human-to-human transmission has occurred,
Signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
People are being advised to avoid “unprotected” contact with live animals, thoroughly cook meat and eggs, and avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms.
The number of people infected with a new virus in China tripled over the weekend, with the outbreak spreading from Wuhan to other major cities, according to the British Broadcasting Co. (BBC).
Wuhan reported 136 new cases of the respiratory illness. The capital Beijing reported two cases, while Shenzhen confirmed one.
Total known infections now exceed 200, and three people have died.
The sharp uptick in cases comes as millions of Chinese prepare to travel for the Lunar New Year holidays, according to the BBC.
The Bureau of Quarantine has personnel in the airports and even seaports, said Dr. Mary Jane Juanico, head of DOH Region 6’s infectious disease section.
“They are already doing control measures. They are on heightened alert checking our travellers,” she said.
DOH Region 6’s other task, said Juanico, is to strengthen the public awareness campaign on this new illness with symptoms like high fever and shortness of breath. In some cases there’s cough, runny nose, body pain, and headache.
It is important for people to maintain a healthy lifestyle, practice proper hygiene and keep the environment clean, said Juanico.
In a statement, DOH secretary Francisco Duque III urged travellers – especially those from China – experiencing flu-like symptoms to get screened immediately.
He also stressed the importance of frequent hand-washing and the wearing of masks in crowded places, among others.
The Philippines is deemed vulnerable to the spread of the mystery virus because it has been receiving heavy Chinese labor traffic since an online gambling boom in 2018.
“Observe cough etiquette to prevent the transmission of respiratory infections,” Duque added.
The infection in China broke out between Dec. 12 and 29, 2019./PN
