San Lazaro Hospital in Manila said Monday they were observing a Chinese couple from Wuhan, China, who showed symptoms related to the 2019 novel coronavirus.
Hospital spokesman Dr. Ferdinand De Guzman said the couple—one in the 40s, the other in the 30s in age—were confined on Friday.
“Ang lalaki po ang may symptoms, ang babae is just ubo,” De Guzman told GMA News Online.
(The man has symptoms, the woman only has a cough.)
“’Yung dalawa po from Wuhan,” he added.
(The two are from Wuhan.)
Another Chinese was also confined at the hospital due to flu-like symptoms on Monday but was diagnosed to have chickenpox or varicella.
“Only two po so far that were investigated. Yung third (the third one) po was assessed and had varicella po,” De Guzman said.
De Guzman said several cases were referred to them for possible 2019-nCoV, but only the three patients “fit the criteria” for the virus.
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Chinese couple confined in San Lazaro under observation for coronavirus
The spokesperson also said that samples from the Chinese couple had been sent to Australia to confirm if they are infected with the 2019 novel coronavirus.
“Ever since they were admitted, kinuhaan na namin ng (we took) swab ‘yan, nose, and throat swab,” he explained.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III assured the public that there are no confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV in the Philippines yet.
However, the Department of Health earlier said there were investigating 11 persons for possible 2019-nCoV infection.
The 11 patients are from the different parts of the country, namely Metro Manila, Mimaropa, Northern Mindanao, and Western, Eastern, and Central Visayas.