Last week, news of foreigners with suspected MERS CoV were quarantined and tested at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), was all over social media and news portals. You can’t help but worry for the sake of your family knowing how incapable our airport gadgets or machines are in terms of screening inbound passengers. But a few days after, DOH said the tests were negative.
Today though, CNN Philippines released a confirmatory news from the Department of Health stating:
The Department of Health (DOH) announced on Monday (July 6) the second case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the Philippines after a 36-year-old male foreigner from the Middle East tested positive of the virus.
According to the DOH, the patient was referred to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) last Saturday at 11:30 a.m. – CNN PhilippinesÂ
Time to heighten your safety precautions, Mommies!
What is MERS CoV, first of all?
MERS CoV or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus is a virus that affects the respiratory tract of both humans and animals. MERS CoV is also known to affect the digestive system.
It is transmitted from human to human via bodily fluids, although research published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) suggests people can be infected by coming in contact with animals. CNN PhilippinesÂ
Key information about MERS CoV that you should know about:
Here’s a bit of knowledge and caution from our DOH:
