DOH: No enough data that Chinese tourists brought COVID-19 in PH

Department of Health (DOH) said there is no enough data to support claims that the Chinese tourists who came to the Philippines early this year brought the COVID-19 in the country.

DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said they must be cautious in interpreting the data released by Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) regarding its findings on the Chinese tourists.

ADVERTISEMENT

The RITM identified two major SARS-CoV-2 lineages that originated in China, lineages A, and B, and six other sub-lineages each from samples collected in Metro Manila, Ilocos Sur, Rizal, Laguna, and Bohol.

“Kailangan nating i-interpret with caution kasi iyong napag-aralan ng RITM, maliit na portion pa lang ng population, it was done in… hindi ganoong karaming places,” she said.

“Because the sample is still small and area [where it was done] is limited, it is not conclusive yet for us to have an accurate conclusion,” Vergeire added, recommending further study.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Kailangan i-further pa ang pag-aaral. We need more details before we can actually say na hindi iyong mga Chinese ang nag-spread ng infection at nagkaroon ng tayo ng ibang pinanggalingan ng infection natin.”

On January 30, the DOH confirmed the first case of the 2019 novel coronavirus in the Philippines, who is a Chinese woman from Wuhan, China.

Health Secretary Duque said that the 38-year-old Chinese woman under investigation tested positive for the nCoV.

ADVERTISEMENT

Also read: Full economy reopening after curved flattened not recommended – UP expert

Chinese tourists PH’s first COVID-19 cases

Duque said the confirmed case arrived from Wuhan, China, via Hongkong last January 21, 2020. The patient was admitted to one of the government hospitals on January 25 after experiencing a mild cough.

The second case is the woman’s partner, a 44-year-old Chinese patient who died of the virus. He was recorded as the first COVID-19 death outside China.

DOH then confirmed the country’s third case in February, a 60-year-old woman from Wuhan, China. She arrived in Cebu City on January 20 via Hong Kong. She then traveled to a resort in Bohol.

As of August 26, the Philippines has recorded 202,361 COVID-19 cases so far. Of this number, 133,460 recovered, while 3,137 died.

The number of active COVID-19 cases is at 65,764.