MANILA, Philippines — The number of patients under observation for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has breached the 400 mark, the Department of Health (DOH) announced on Wednesday.
Of the 408 patients under observation, 238 are still admitted in hospitals, and 165 have been discharged as of 12 noon Wednesday, Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said in a press briefing.
The three individuals who earlier tested positive for the virus were likewise counted as patients under observation – the 44-year-old Chinese man who died on Feb. 1, his partner, a 38-year-old Chinese woman who was already discharged on Saturday, and the 60-year-old Chinese woman who had already returned to China.
Two others, one who tested positive for HIV but negative for the virus and died of pneumonia, and another who had lung disease and also died of pneumonia and not of the virus are likewise included in the tally.
A total of 208 patients have already tested negative, but some of them have yet to be discharged since they have to yield negative results for the virus infection based on two consecutive examinations.
Of all the individuals who have come in close contact with the three confirmed cases, 59 are now counted in the tally of PUIs. These are the 44 contacts of the first and second case, and 15 contacts of the third case.
The latest count of patients being investigated for the novel coronavirus includes 240 Filipinos, 98 Chinese nationals, 18 Americans, four Finns, and three Germans, while the rest are from Brazil, Britain, France, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Taiwan.
In the global scene, the virus has killed more than 1,100—all in mainland China but one each in the Philippines and Hong Kong—and has infected more than 45,000, with the vast majority of cases recorded in China.
PUIs are those who have travel history from China where the virus broke out and have shown signs of the disease, including fever, cough, and colds.