Patient in Oro tests negative of Mers-Cov

→ → Go back HOME to Zamboanga: the Portal to the Philippines.
By Alwen Saliring

THE Department of Health in Northern Mindanao said the patient confined at Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) in Cagayan de Oro City has tested negative of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (Mers-Cov).

Dr. David Mendoza, head of the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance and Disaster Response Unit (RESDRU) of the DOH Northern Mindanao, confirmed Sunday that all laboratory tests taken from the patient and brought to Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), DOH’s national reference laboratory, for the verification of the samples were all found negative of Mers-Cov.

“Dili kinahanglang maguol ang katawhan kay negatibo ang pasyente sa Mers-Cov. (There is no need to worry because the patient is negative of Mers-Cov),” Mendoza said.

Mendoza said the patient is suffering from a lung problem and the hospital is continually giving medication for her possible pulmonary Tuberculosis (TB).

The 36-year-old female patient is a caregiver from Singapore for more than two years and arrived home last month due to overstaying. She has already been complaining of her health condition since December last year.

Mendoza said in an earlier interview that NMMC specialists have been working out on the diagnosis associated with pulmonary tuberculosis.

“I-isolate lang gihapon basin infectious disease sa baga pwede TB, Bronchitis or Pneumonia. (She will still be in isolation as she might have infectious disease in her lungs such as Tuberculosis, Bronchitis, or Pneumonia),” Mendoza said.

Mendoza added these diseases could be transmitted through close and direct contact with people.

“Dili siya airborne, direct contact siya pareha sa TB dapat dili ta magpaduol kung molabay ka sa tawo nga naay TB ok lang pero gawas kung mahangab nimo iyang ginhawa or inubhan. (It is not airborne, it's direct contact like Tuberculosis, we should be careful in getting near people who have Tuberculosis),” Mendoza said.

Mendoza said common symptom of advance TB is coughing out blood which the patient is currently experiencing. Mendoza said the residents may now eliminate fear and worries that the city has Mers-Cov case, as he warns irresponsible individual to stop spreading hoax messages to avoid panic.