Search for “Mers-CoV carriers”: Cops can’t find last passenger

CEBU, Philippines - Policemen are having a hard time finding the last untested person from a flight initially suspected to have Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus carriers since the Department of Health only gave his name and his address as “Cebu City”.

Police Regional Office-7 regional director Chief  Superintendent Danilo Constantino said that they have already located five people with the same name but they turned out not to be that person.

“Napuntahan na ‘yun ng tropa natin, it turned out na hindi pala siya ‘yun, ‘yun ang problema, ini-inform na namin ang DOH, kung maka-secure ng ibang data kasi very general ang address, Cebu City lang,” he said.

He said that it would be better if the Bureau of  Immigration can provide them a copy of the passenger’s passport containing his picture.

“Kung makaka-secure ng copy ng passport nila, I don’t know kung may file ang Bureau of Immigration ‘nun para may picture,” he said.

He said that the passenger will not be arrested but will be forced to submit for quarantine as a last resort.

Of the 26 passengers listed in the manifest of Etihad Airlines flight EY 424 that arrived from Abu Dhabi last April 15, 25 have been tested and only one has not.

“Daghan man gud ni’g kaparehas og pangalan unya wala ma-specify ang address kung asa sa Cebu City. Daghan na ta’g impormasyon nga nakuha especially with the help of the Philippine National Police, pero so far wala pa gihapon nato kini makit-i,” said DOH-7 Health Emergency Management Staff  chief Doctor Expedito Medalla.

Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit chief  Renan Cimafranca assured policemen helping them find the last person that they are in no danger of contracting the virus themselves since they do not have direct contact with them.

“Ang trabaho sa polis mao ang pag locate sa passenger. Wala man sila’y physical encounter with the patient. Kay trabaho man na nato sa DOH. Igo ra na sila mo-confirm kung positive nga dinhi nga lugar nahimutang ni nga individual, kami na ang makigstorya ug mo-transport sa patient,” Cimafranca explained.

Still MERS-free

Cebu and the rest of Central Visayas remain free from MERS-CoV as of yesterday, local health officials declared.

This after 23 of the 25 tested individuals in Central Visayas were found negative after results arrived yesterday noon. The results of two other specimens are still pending since the extraction of their samples was done later than the others.

Results of the MERS-CoV confirmatory laboratory  test from Research Institute for Tropical Medicine were sent to the office of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center chief Dr. Gerardo Aquino since Department of Health-7 regional director Dr. Jaime Bernadas was out of town.

Aquino said that of the 13 patients quarantined at VSMMC, 12 tested negative hence were sent home yesterday afternoon. The last one will remain in isolation pending the results together with another patient quarantined in Negros Oriental.

As explained by Dr. Mari Leo Pataray, who is leading the medical team monitoring the VSMMC patients under quarantine, the ones who tested negative do not need further medication as none were experiencing health problems.

“These patients do not need treatment or medication. Those who initially complained of common colds, cough and even one patient who had diarrhea no longer experience these,” Pataray said.

DOH-7 assistant regional director Dr. Lakshmi Legaspi said that as of  yesterday, the total number of individuals that the health agency is monitoring in Central Visayas rose to 26 with 25 already tested, except for the lone passenger who has yet to be traced by both police and DOH.

The four who initially refused to go under quarantine will no longer be compelled  to be quarantined at VSMMC since they already tested negative.

“Ang katong upat mi-promise man nato nga mag-house isolation lang sila. Pero tungod kay negative sila, dili na sila kina-hanglan ma-quarantine,” explained Renan Cimafranca who heads the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit of  DOH.

Of the total 25 tested for MERS-CoV, 18 were admitted while seven others did not require quarantine.

Cebu had the most number of under quarantine with a total of 14; 13 at VSMMC plus another one in a private hospital.

Bohol and Negros each had two patients under quarantine. The patients in Bohol were already released following negative test results while one remains in Negros Oriental until results arrive.

Seven passengers who were not advised for quarantine included three Nigerians and four Filipinos.

Health authorities have been urging those who have recent travel history from the Middle East to voluntarily undergo testing to clear doubts and help prevent the entry and spread of  MERS-CoV in the country.

Testing is free as well as quarantine if necessary, provided they are admitted at VSMMC. In the event that the patient opts to be under quarantine in a private hospital, he or she will have to pay for the stay.  — /BRP (FREEMAN)