The female Russian national being monitored by health authorities in Coron town no longer shows sore-throat or any flu-like symptom in relation to the novel coronavirus (nCov).
“Nagkita na kami noong alleged case. Basically, okay naman siya. More than two weeks na siya sa Pilipinas. Wala siyang fever at ang sore throat niya nawala din after a night,” said Friday morning to Palawan News by Dr. Allan Guintapan, municipal health chief of Coron.
“From Wuhan, China siya as a student. Nag-bakasyon siya dito from Manila to Puerto Princesa to El Nido to Coron, at pagkatapos ‘yong timeline niya, more than two weeks na siya sa Pilipinas. Wala siyang fever except sa sore throat na nawala din. Sa kanyang medical history, meron siyang pabalik-balik na tonsilitis,” he added.
He said her flight from China to the Philippines was not direct from Wuhan.
Guintapan said even the Russian’s friend, another foreign national of Asian descent, also does not have symptoms.
Pathologically, if the Russian is ill and nCov is highly-infectious, he said her friend would have also contracted it.
“Sabi niya nga, ‘we drink in the same bottle of water and yet she has no symptoms’, so walang ganoon. Pathologically, wala talaga siyang [symptoms ng nCov]. Nauna lang ang posting sa Facebook kaysa pag-investigate,” Guintapan said, hoping residents of Coron and the rest of the province could “now relax while remaining vigilant.”
He said he already allowed the Russian national to continue with her tour as she is in good health. However, they still took a blood sample from her.
Guintapan said based on their investigation, she does not fall in the classification of “person under investigation due to nCov”.
He said the Municipal Health Office (MHO) is now in the process of informing accommodation establishments in Coron about the matter since they were among those who got scared when the news came out.
Guintapan reiterated that Coron is vigilant, especially in the airport and seaport, to ensure that nCov will not enter their town.
“Mahigpit talaga ang monitoring namin ngayon sa airport and seaport hangga’t hindi natatapos ‘yang scare,” he said.