DOH: Suspected 2019-nCoV cases in PH rise to more than 100

MANILA, Philippines — The number of suspected cases of the novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD) in the country has breached the 100 mark as of 12 noon Tuesday, Department of Health (DOH) said in its website.

DOH data showed that of the current 103 patients under investigation (PUIs), 90 are still confined in hospitals while 12 have been discharged after testing negative for the novel coronavirus. The discharged patients, nevertheless, will be monitored by health personnel, according to the agency.

The latest count still includes the 29-year-old man from Yunnan even if he already died on January 29 due to pneumonia despite being negative for the 2019-nCoV.

Meanwhile, DOH removed from its list of PUIs the 38-year-old Chinese woman tagged as the first 2019-nCoV case in the Philippines and her partner, the 44-year-old Chinese man labeled as the second case and first 2019-nCoV death in the Philippines and outside China. The Chinese man died on February 1 after contracting severe pneumonia due to the 2019-nCoV. The Chinese couple, who came from Wuhan and arrived in the Philippines on January 21, was originally included in the list of 80 individuals being strictly monitored by DOH as of Monday noon.

The newest DOH tally would show that 25 new PUIs were added overnight in the list patients being observed by DOH.

The same DOH data further showed an increase in the number of PUIs in Metro Manila from 27 on Monday noon to 36 as of Tuesday noon. Still, Metro Manila has the most number of PUIs at 36, followed by Central Visayas and Central Luzon at 16 each, Western Visayas at 10, Davao Region at 6, Northern Mindanao at 5, Calabarzon and Mimaropa at four each, Ilocos Region and Eastern Visayas at three each, and Cordillera Administrative Region and Cagayan Valley at one patient each.

Edited by KGA

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