(Eagle News)–Health Secretary Francisco Duque III confirmed on Sunday, Feb. 2, the country’s second coronavirus -acute respiratory disease case, also the first death of its kind in the country.
In a televised press conference, Duque said the Chinese male companion of the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus in the country, the 38-year-old Chinese woman from Wuhan, China, died yesterday, Saturday, Feb. 1, after suffering complications as well.
The 44-year-old man had tested positive for the virus.
“Over the course of the patient’s admission he developed severe pneumonia. In his last few days, the patient was stable and showed signs of improvement. However, the condition of the patient deteriorated within the last 24 hours resulting in his demise,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.
According to Dr. Rabi Abeyasinghe, World Health Organization representative in the Philippines, this is the first reported death outside China.
“However we need to take in mind that this is not a locally acquired case. This patient came from the epicenter of the outbreak, Wuhan, China,” he said.
The woman, on the other hand, was reported as being stable in the hospital.
Health authorities are conducting contact tracing of people who may have come in contact with the couple on board two flights to Cebu and Dumaguete.
According to Duque, 24 patients under investigation tested negative from the disease as of Saturday, February 1.
President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered a temporary ban on travelers from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, following the country’s confirmation of its first case.
