2 Cebuanos test negative for MERS-CoV

Health authorities clear a total of four persons including two foreigners They were all passengers of Saudia Airlines where a Filipina nurse was found positive of the virus French national’s house companions in Bohol were also tested for the virus and were all found MERS-CoV-free

THE Department of Health (DOH) 7 has cleared four persons suspected of carrying the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus (MERS-CoV).

Rennan Cimafranca, DOH 7 Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit chief epidemiologist, told reporters yesterday that two Cebuanos and two foreign nationals— French and Italian—were found negative of the deadly virus.

The four people were among the 224 passengers aboard Saudia Airlines flight 860 last Feb. 1.

In the same flight, a Filipina nurse was found positive of the virus.

Cimafranca said that after receiving the orders to trace the four passengers found to have had contact with the Filipina nurse, DOH 7 immediately traced three of the four passengers.

The fourth passenger, an Italian national, already went to the Western Visayas before DOH 7's medical personnel can conduct the contacttracing.

But DOH 6 traced the foreigner and tested him.

The French national was tested in Bohol where he was said to be finishing his thesis.

But he was found to have three companions in one house, who were also tested by health authorities.

They all tested negative of the virus.

According to the National Government's Official Gazette, the health department said that they were able to test 115 passengers of Saudi Flight 860 for MERS-CoV.

Two passengers are currently under close observation, one of them suspected to have been infected with MERS-CoV.

Both of them are in isolation.

Last Feb. 1, the DOH intercepted a pregnant nurse that had the symptoms of the MERS-CoV.

As of this month, MERS-CoV has affected 971 people in the Middle East with 356 deaths.